Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1892-03-10

WIND bHN oNiA y lIOlll OuI tdILil4
1t has been estimated that the bril-
liancy of Sirius is 800 times greater
than that Of tho,s and If we assume
that the intrinsic brightness of its sur
face is the same as the suns, the sur
face of this star. must be 800 times
larger than that Of the sun, from which
1t follows that the diameter of Sirius is
about eighteen times that of the sun,
and its volume about 1900 times great
erl 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 as
their life-b bearing functions are con-
cerned, 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-
pect 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 comprc-
bend the unreasonable distance which
separates our earth from this immense
orb. Light which travels with the al
most uncomfortable velocity of $4,000
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 system of revolving worlds, and
imagine them as being inhabited by
creatures far more advanced in intel
lectual development than ourselves.
But we are at loss to conceive of the
vast scale OH 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 stupendous orb. BY means
of the spectroscope, Prof. Huggins, the
eminent English astronomer, has
found that Sirius is receding from our
earth at the rate of twenty-six miles
per second; and yet, even with this al
most incredible velocity the passage of
thousand years will make no per-
ceptible 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 it's attraction upon Sirius, the mo-
ton of which varied in such 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, and, though it was dill
gently searched for, it continued to
elude detection, even by means of the
most powerful telescopes. But in Feb
ruary, 1862, the eighteen and one-hali
inch telescope which was being con.
structed for the Chicago observatory
by the late Alvan Clark, the famous
optician, was pointed to Sirius as test
Of its power, when the disturbing
companion came suddenly into view,
at distance of about ten seconds from
the large star, and exactly in the direc
tion which had been predicted for that
time.
I We find, then, that Sirius is d
double STAR" the two components be,
ing ply sically connected, and forming
what is known as 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 ex
planned, some astronomers are of the
opinion that Sirius has another dis
turbing companion, the existence O
which is indicated by it's attraction
only, and which may eventually be dis
covered.
In conclusion, we reproduce the in
teresting remarks of Prof DAME
Kirkwood, regarding Sirius and it
companion, published in Appleton
Annual Cyclopedia for the year 1876
: From the discussion of the observa
lions OF the companion of Sirius DIR
Auwers has found the period of revo
luton to be 40 years 146 days; tn
semi-axis of the orbit thirty-sevel
times the distance of the earth from
the sun, and the eccentricity 0.614S-
somewhat greater than that of Faye
comet. The mass of the companion
half that of the principal star, or NOR
exactly, the mass of Sirius is Is. rs, an
that of the telescope star GIL, the mas
: of the sun being unity. AS the ligh
of Sirius, according to Sir John Her
schel is S94 times that of an averag
star of the sixth magnitude, and as tn
satellite discovered by Clark is of tn
ninth or tenth magnitude, the light O
! the latter must be much less tha
Ii, 900 part of that received from tn
} principal star. The facts seem to ind
cate a remarkable difference betwee
! the physical constitution of Sirius an
its satellite. Arthur X. Bartlett, i
Chicago Inter Ocean. "
Office Boy Ito Employor)-"1'v
got complaint to make, sir" En-
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