The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1892-04-08
EBENS BURG. PA. FRIDAY. APRIL 8. 1892.

larger than that of the sun. from which
it follows that the diameter of Sirius is
about eighteen times that of the sun,
and its volume about :, 200 times great
er! Prof. Garrett p Serviss, referring
to Sirius in recent magazine article,
says: According to recent estimates
Sirius, while shining with perhaps
seventy times the light of orr sun, is
only between two and three times as
massive, so that the intensity of its
radiation is enormously greater than
the suns Planets situated as close to
Sirius as the earth and the other inner
planets of our system are to the sun
would be unable to endure, so far "a
their life-bearing functions are con-
ccrned, the gush of heat and blaze of
light poured upon them-unless. in
deed, the organization of living beings
there were entirely different from that
prevailing here. We should then ex-
pecJ such stars as Sirius, if they are
the centers of the planetary systems
at all, to be surrounded by globes re
volving at comparatively great dis
tances and in long periods OF time"
The mind utterly fails to- compre-
hend the immeasurable distance which
separates our earth from this immense
orb. Light, which travels with the al
most inconceiva bic velocity of ISG, 900
miles per second, requires Twenty-Five
years to traverse the distance between
Sirius and our earth. We may Justly
consider this brilliant sun as the center
OF a system of revolving worlds, and
imagine them as being inhabited by
creatures far more advanced in intcl-
lcctual development than ourselves.
Igrnf
vast scale on which the system OF such
an immense sun must necessarily be
constructed; and when. in addition to
the startling facts already mentioned,
we consider the recent discovery that
Sirius, with its entire family of planets
and comets, is rushing through space
with enormous velocity, the mind is
bewildered in contemplating the won
derS of this Stupcndous orb. By means
of the spectrOScopc, Prof. HugginS- the
eminent English astronomer, has
found that Sirius is receding from our
earth at the rate of twcnty-siX miles
per second; and yet, even with this al
most incredible velocity the passage of
thousand years will make no per-
ceptiblc difference in the appearance
OF this brilliant star, SO immense Is the
distance which separates it from our
earth.
One of the most interesting results
of the observations directed to this
wonderful star was the discovery that
it is attended by companion or
satellite, the existence of which had
long been suspected by astronomers.
and which was finally detected by
mere accident The presence of this
object had been revealed by the effect
of its attraction upon Sirius. the mo
ton of which varied in such Il way as
TO indicate powerful disturbing influ-
ence in its vicinity. The famous Ger
man astronomer, Bessel, nearly
fifty years ago expressed his belief
that the periodical variations in The
motion of Sirius were produced
by the attraction of an invisible
companion. revolving around the i'm
mense orb. Several astronomers had
calculated the orbit of the attracting
body, and its direction from Sirius at
various times, aud, though it was dill
gently searched for, it continued to
elude detection, even by means of the
most powerful telescopes But in Feb
ruary, lS62, the eighteen and one-half
inch telescope which was being con-
structed for the Chicago observatory
by the late Alvan Clark, the famouc
optician, was pointed to Sirius as test
of its power, when the disturbing
companion came suddenly into view,
at a distance of about ten seconds from
the large star, and exactly in the direc-
tion which had been predicted fo- that
time
We find, then, that Sirius is a
double star" the two components be-
ing ply sically connected, and forming
what Is known as a binary system"
the smaller star revolving around the
larger, or both around their common
center OF gravity. Owing to certain
irregularities in the motion of the
smaller star, which cannot be cX-
planned, some astronomers are of the
opinion that Sirius has another dis
turbing companion, the existence of
which IS indicated by its attraction
only, and which may eventually be dis
covered.
In conclusion, we reproduce the in
tercsting remarks of Prof. Daniel
Kirkwood, regarding Sirius and its
companion, published in Appleton's
Annual Cyclopedia for the year 1876:
From the discussion of the observa-
tions of the companion of Sirius, DR..
Auwers has found the period of revo-
luton to be 40 years 146 days; the
scmi-axis of the orbit thirty-seven
| times the distance of the earth from
the sun, and the eccentricity O614s-
somewhat greater than that of Faye's
comet The mass of the companion is
/ half that of the principal star, or more
| exactly, the mass of Sirius is IS. 7G, and
| that of the telescope star t. Il, the mass
| of the sun being unity. As the light
| OF Sirius, according to Sir John Her
| schel, is 324 times that of an average
! star of the sixth magnitude, and as the
satellite discovered by Clark is of the
! ninth or tenth magnitude, the light of
the latter must be much less than
| I-I,O0O part of that received from the
principal star. The facts seem to indi-
cate a remarkable difference between
the physical constitution of Sirius and
its satellite. Arthur X bartlett, in
Chicago Inter Ocean