Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-09-09
-sTAUNToN SPECTATOR AND GENERAL ADvER
The Spectroscope and Astronomy.

IH6 OpcCtfUScUpo anu h5uVAUhJ
In his recent address to the British Asso- |
citation DR.. higgins gives us most inter- |
esting account Of the discoveries in astron-
omy achieved in late years by means OF the
spectroscope. This instrument has enabled
the astronomer to solve problems for winch
the telescope is inadequate. In connection
with photography, as refined and improved
by students of that fascinating art, the spec.
troscope has become in fact weapon OF
conquest which amazes the older astrono-
mers by the number and value of its results.
Not only does it reveal to us new stars and
nebula, but it gives us fresh knowledge OF
the nature, extent and motions of the old.
DR.. Higgins recounts, among other recent
advances, the improved measurements, by
means of the spectroscope, of the motions
of the stars and nebule and the discovery
of double stars and stellar systems.
The stars, as every one knows, show no
true discs, but mere luminous points. Their
distance is so great that if the nearest of
them were approaching us at the rate of
100 miles second a whole century of such
movement would increase its brightness by
but one. fortieth part. The spectroscope,
however, enables US to measure to within
leas than a mile a second the speed of ap-
proach or recession OF heavenly body.
With its help we can tell whether given
star or nebula is moving toward or from US,
and approximate its velocity. provided it is
not going much less than mile a second.
The motions of some fifty stars have already
been thus ascertained, among them the mo-
ton of Arcturus, whose distance from Us is
such that his light takes over two hundred
years to reach US. Ten nebula have beeH
examined, and they have been found to be
moving through space atrates ranging from
| 2 to ~ miles per second, one having the
exceptional velocity of 40 miles second.
Among the whirling and drifting suns and
systems of suns the uebnla of Orion has a
motion of recession of about 10 miles per
second, which happens to be abont the esti-
| mated velocity of our sun in its drift
through space.
| A new line of work upon which the spec
troscops is employed with surprising results
, is the resolution or separating OF double
stars and the measuring of their velocities'
| Not only has the number of known binary
stars been added to, but there has been re-
yealed new class of stellar systems, in
which the components are in some cases OF
nearly equal magnitude and in close prox'
unity, and revolving with velocities greatly
exceeding the planetary velocities OF our
solar system. A certain line in the spec.
!
found to be double at intervals OF 81 days
The spectrum was due, therefore, not to a
single source of light, but to two stars NOV.
ing periodically in opposite directions.
These two stars are moving, it is found,
the one about the other, each with veloc
ity of about so miles a second, and are
about 143, 600, 900 miles only apart. Theil
period of revolution is estimated at about
| los days. OF about equal brightness, to.
gether they have mass about 40 times as
great as that of our sun. Another star,
known as Beta Aurigae, is discovered to
cor sist Of two stars about 1900, 600 miles
apart, each with velocity of nearly &c
miles q second. Their combined mass is
nearly five times that of our sun. They are
moving toward us with speed Of 16 miles
a seoond-a fact which need not discomfort
the arrangements for the next presidential
election on this side of our planet. As
showing the value of the spectroscope fol
investigations of this sort, it may bs noted
that it would take telescope with a glass
80 feet in diameter to see this star double
whereas the largest Of our telescope lenses
at present has less than half that diameter
in inches. The star Algol is found to BIZ
two stars, one bright and twice as large al
our sun, the other invisible and only hal
, SO large, revolving about each other ct E
distance apart of only $500. 600 miles.
According to Helmholtz our SUMS heat il
maintained By the contraction Of his mes
, at the rate of about 220 feet year. AS
trOnomers on this baeis can reason back tt
time when the sun was sufficiently ex.
banded to fill the whole space occupied BY
the solar system, bsing at that time great
glowing nebula. How was our planetary
, system made out Of it? Lapiace supposed
that process OF condensation, due to cool.
ing and gravitation, led to whirling move
ment of the mass, which at intervals threw
off rings, OR Jumps, which became the
planets. Others have supposed that there
: were as many points of aggregation as there
are planets, that the outer planets were
formed last, net frat, as -Laplace assumed
Either theory has difficulties, but in the
nebula in Andromeda there is now in prog
ress, according to DIR. Higgins, cosmical
evolution ON Lapiaca's theory is, after all,
notgery far wrong. A photograph taken by
MIR. Roberts shows sort of whirlpool dis.
turbanee in The sire dust' of this nebula.
The matter Of the nebula appears to be dis
tributed in rings, Or spiral streams, such as
the theory of Laplace supposes. Evidently
astronomy is not at the end of it's tether.
Rather is it, with its improved mechanical
appliances and new methods of research,
bn5 entering, it would seem, upon a new
| world of discoveries .-B2tin.oTe Stn.