Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1892-03-24
WONDERS OF ASTRONOMY
Some Facts About the Mighty
Universe Around US.
Tho Fearful Speed with Which Wo Are
Rushing Through Space Tho Heav-
ems Constantly Changing-A
Stellar Eacehorse.

To ordinary vision all the stars APP
pear to be at rest in the heavens; nor
can the astronomer himself recognize
any signs of motion except by patient
and long-continued observation, eX-
tending, in some instances, over Il pc
Rod OF many years, and even centuries,
when succeeding astronomers complete
the work which their predecessors had
begun. But every star in the firma-
ment is on it's journey and moving
through space with wonderful velocity.
Absolute rest is unknown throughout
the material universe. If we look up
to the sky on calm, bright night,
when the stars shine IN all their glory,
we are usually impressed with the feel
ing that a solemn stiffness rcigns
throughout those infinite regions of
space. In reality, those amazing star
depths above us, which appear so
steadfast ard Interchangeable from year
to year, are astir with life, energy and
activity, and there is remarkable
process of change taking place all
around us.
Our earth is moving rapidly in its
orbit, at the rate Of eighteen miles per
second. This is known to be our vc-
locity around the sun, and while we
sleep seven hours the world on which
we dwell carries us 100000 miles
through space
Some stars are known to be APP
preaching and others rcceding, from
the earth. Among those found to be
approaching us is Arcturus-mentioned
in the Bible, and the brightest star
north of the cquator-which is moving
with velocity of afty-fvc miles every
second. Sirius, the famous dog star"
SO glorious on winter evenings, and the
brightest star in the heavens, is reced-
ing from us at the rate of twenty-six
miles per second; and yet, even with
these enormous velocities the passage
of a thousand years will make no per-
ceptible difference in the appearance
of these two stars, so immense are
the distances which separate them
from our earth.
The greatest velocity that has been
recognized am ong the stars, until quite
recently, is found in the motion of a
small star near the north pole known
as the RUNAWAY STAR" as it is some
times called, which is believed to be
rushing through space at the rate of 1872
miles per second. This star appears to
be moving in perfectly straight path
through the sky, and it may be
visiting our stellar system for
the first time; but whence it came, OF
whittier it is going, no one can tell.
Its wonderful velocity cannot be ex-
planned, as it is greater than could be
produced by the influence of all the
known bodies in the universe; and on
the other hand, the combined attrac-
ton of all the stars cannot stop this
wanderer in its solitary fight through
space, until it has rushed on to the ex
treme limits beyond whichsthe great
est telescopes have never penetrated
1t has been matthew tically demon
strated that body approaching the
center of our system, for an infinite
distance, cannot move with greater We
locity than twenty-five miles a second
If influenced by the attraction of the
masses in our universe alone; but here
we have been considering star NOV
ing with eight times that velocity, and
still. Notwithstanding the fact that II
has the greatest motion known among
the stars, it would require $4,000
wears for this remarkable star to com
plcte an entire circuit around the
heavensl Until recently it was sup
posed that this star had the greatest
velocity of any in the heavens, but it il
now known that Mu in Cassiopeia ha'
velocity of sos miles second, while
if the observations of DR.. Elkin are t.
be accepted, Arcturus is travelling at
speed of 375 miles second
These motions observed among thu
stars arc ewing to the attractive iniu
ence which they exert upon each other
But the whole of their proper mo
tion," as it is called, is not real, a par
of it being apparent only, and due t.
the real or proper motion of the sun
together with the entire planetary sys
tenn Our great universe of stars i
constantly undergoing vast change
which will be perceptible to those wit
inhabit the earth in future centuries
The cophguratiou Of our starry hesv