Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1892-06-08

lOcity than twenty-five miles second,
If influenced by the attraction of the
masses in our universe alone; but here
we have been considering a star NOV
ing with eight times that velocity, and
still, Notwithstanding the fact that it
has the greatest motion known among
the stars, it would require $4,000
years for this remarkable star to COM
plete an entire circuit around the
heavensi Until recently it was sup
posed that this star had the greatest
velocity of any in the heavens, but it is
now known that Mu in Cassiopeia has
a velocity of 305 miles a second, while,
if the observations of DR.. Elkin are to
be accepted, Arcturus is travelling at a
speed of S75 miles second
These motions observed among the
stars are owing to the attractive influ-
ence which they exert upon each other.
But the whole of their proper mo-
tion," as it Is called, is not real, part
of 1t being apparent only, and due to
the real or proper motion OF the sun,
together with the entire planetary sys-
tenn Our great universe of stars is
constantly undergoing vast changes
which will be perceptible to those who
inhabit the earth in future centuries.
The CONFORMATION of our starry hesv.
ems will eventually be greatly changed
Fl ION their present appearance. Orion,
now so beautiful and attractive during
the winter season, will then no longer
hold supremacy over the considerations.
The well-known big Dipper'' viii
sometime In the distant future assume
a very different appearance from tn at
now presented to our Wow, and must
finally cease to attract the attention of
the amateur 'star-gazers," as it does at
present, by the beauty Of its familiar
| figure In our northern sky.
One of the most notable examples Of
the constant and yet almost impercep-
tible changes taking place In our hrma-
ment is to he found In the motions Of
the seven bright stars forming tho
big Dipper" above mentioned, in the
circum-polar constellation known as
Ursa Major. DIR. Higgins, the emil
nent English astronomer, has found,
by means OF the spectroscope, that Ave
OF these stars are moving in the
same direction, with nearly the same
velocity, and receding from the earth
at the rate of about twenty miles per
second, which seems to indicate that
they are travelling together, forming
an independent group, and are ASSOC
ciated with each other in some mystic
rious way at present unknown to the
astronomers. The late Prot Proctor
referred to them as the drifting
stars" and this community of motion,
where groups of stars appear to be
travelling as systems, he termed ''star.
drift" of which there are many inter
esting examples to be found In the va,
rious parts Of the heavens
The stars in the neighborhood of the
constellation Hercules appear to be ap-
proaching us and those in the opposite
part Of the heavens appear to be reced
ing fromus
This apparent motion common to al
the stars is believed to be due to the real
motion of the sun through space; and
as the sun moves he of course carries
the earth and all the planets along with
him. But whether the sun is actually
moving in straight line or around some
distant center it Is impossible to de-
termine at the present time. It Il
estimated, however, that the sun Il
, | Ills PdOn db I1O EaI0 "
about $50, 100000 miles year, which
corresponds to about fve-sixths Of the
diameter of the earth's orbit. Motion
along the line of sight has been de
tected by the use of the new and
marvellous instrument known as thu
"tele spectroscope, owing to the fac
that it causes q displacement Of the
4 spectral lines. It has been found tina
a displacement of spectral line toward
the red end of the spectrum indicates
motion away from US, and a displace
ment toward the violet end q motion
toward us
Although all the stars In the frma
D ment-which are suns like our own
are probably in motion, yet so ia
away are they that their movement
q are scarcely perseptible; nor can W,
detect more than the slightest chang
in position, IN the case Of some o
them, In a whole lifetime, owing Il
the immense distances which separaN
them from our earth.
recent writer, referring to the mo
2 tions of the stars, truly remarked: "a
to the changes In these groups, W
shall never be able to notice them Il
- OSA OAASA 4A40bAhuc, DuL LQ0 SLR1r6 are b
in swiftest motion, flying througI
space, and though their distance Is .
great that from century to century tn
changes caused by their movements ar
, scarcely to be noticed, yet the tim
" will come when these slowly CROWN
70 changes will have entirely altered til
1t appearance of the starry heavens"
+ THE two pointers" in the ''Bi
D. Dipper now so convenient to casus
s, observers of the heavens, will some tim
10 in the distant future cease to indicat
d the position of tho pole star" as the
D. do at present, for there are no like
e stars" and each one of those faro
=. suns, flaming in the immensely
1T space, is swept along in movement
ID rapid that the human mind can hard
t conceive it and almost grows wear
Y, even in it's contemplation; and Il
l. writer ventures to predict that befol
Is many years have elapsed there will
Of recognized among the stars variety
NJ constitution and completely of arrang
SO ments. strilxingly contrasted with Il
NJ general uniformity of structure
Id present taught in most of our to-
le books on astronomy.-Arthur K Bal
II lett, in Inter Ocean.
PROMISES made to be broken; %
elected to congress to betray their &C
- stituents, will hardly contribute