Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1891-08-27
OLD SOILS INSIGNIFICANCE.
The Sun is a Small Body Compared
With Arcturus,

There are three well-defned classes of
stars, Judged by the quality of light they
yield. In the first class are the clear
white and blush white stars, like Sirius
and Vega.
These are supposed to be the hottest
stars and the most luminous in propor-
ton to the extent of their surface. Then
there are the golden yellow or pale orange
stars, of which Arcturus and Capella are
fine examples.
These have begun to cool. Finally, we
have the deep orange and red stars like
Aldebaran and Antares. These have
advanced still further in the cooling pro-
cess.
Now the spectroscope informs us that
our sun belongs to the orange or Arcturus
type, and if we could view it from distant
space we should see Il lovely star of pale
golden yellow.
The question arises, then, how far
would our sun have to be removed in
order to shine with brightness no greater
than that of Arcturus?
According to Mr.. Maunder it would
have to be removed to 140, 200 times its
present distance, or about half the dis
tance between US and Alpha Cen
tauri.
But Arcturus is II, SOC, 900 times as far
away as the sun, and if our sun were
placed at that enormous distance its di-
ameter would have to be eighty-two times
as great in order to give light equal to
that received from Arcturus.
l hesitate to present such figures, i'm
plying magnitudes far beyond any to
which we have been accustomed, yet they
are but the logical deductions of observed
facts.
In other words, upon Mr.. Maunder's
reasonable assumption, Arcturus must be
a gigantic sphere $4,000 times larger
than our sun, with diameter of 10000,
600 miles, or more than large enough tc
fill the entire orbit of Mercury.
To make this contrast clearer let us in
stitute simple comparison. Jupiter i.
larger than all the other planets and sat
elites of the solar system.
The sun is little more than 1,OO(
times larger than Jupiter; but Arcturus
if our information is correct, is $4,000
times larger than the sun.
By the side of such a majestic orb oul
| SuIf Us IL Is Ill
our own system, would dwindle to an in.
significant star.
Contemplating world so vast, en-.
dowed with such mighty energies and
rushing with such resistless force through
the great deeps of space, we cannot re.
sist the questions: Whence came this
blazing world? Whittier is it bound!
What is its mission and destiny?
Is it simply visitor to our sidereal
galaxy, rushing furiously through it like
a comet? Is it being constantly fed and
enlarged by the worlds it encounters and
the meteoric matter it gathers up in it's
wonderful journey?
What would be the effect if it Glanced
to pass through the nebula or star
cluster? Was the new star which sud
denly blazed forth in the nebula of An
dromeda in 1876 due to similar cause?
As this mighty aggregation of attrac-
tive energies sweeps along his celestial
path, thickly bordered with stellar worlds,
how many of those worlds will yield for
ever to his disturbing forces?
How many will be swerved from their
appointed courses by his irresistible
power? How many will plunge into his
fiery bosom and be swallowed up as 0
pebble is swallowed up by the ocean?-
Scientific American.