Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1892-03-10
THE KING OF SUNS.
Wonderful Facts Regarding Sirius,
the Dog Star.
A Mighty Giant Among Suns, Compared
With Which Our Own Sinks Into
Insignificance-The Brightest
Star in tho Heavens.

insignifcancc-The Brightest
Star in tho Heavens.
In the entire armament, embracing
both hcmisphercs, there are about six
thousand stars visible to the naked eye,
and among this immense number, one
In particular, owing to its remarkable
brilliancy and superior magnitude,
must have attracted the attention of
all persons who enjoy an occasional
survey of the heavens in the winter
season. From time immemorial this
star has been observed with the great
est so,icitude by poets, divines and
philosophers, and is known to astrono-
mers by the name of Sirius the famous
"dog STAR of the ancients.
There is no other star in the heavens
that has been more universally OBJ
served, and around which there clus-
ter so many ancient associations and
superstitions, or has recsived more at
tention from astronomers in all ages of
the world. Whoever has looked upon
this beautiful star, located in the
brightest region of the heavens, and
seen it glowing and scintillating on
clear and frosty night in winter, must
have beheld with awe and admiration
its indescribable splendor; and one
need not be an astronomer to admire
its radiant glory, or to conclude that
this charming orb possesses character
Uses distinguishing it from any other
star in the armament, even those of
the first magnitude, with which it is
Chased by astronomers.
1t is true that zone star differeth
from another star in glory" and among
the 50.00O,0 900 stars revealed by the
great telescopes of the present day, the
most surprising glory unquestionably
surrounds the peerless ''dog STAR
which has been prominent celestial
object from the earliest ages, and has
played a somewhat important part in
the history of mankind.
Sirius belongs to the little constella-
ton, CAMS Major, group of thirty
one stars situated just south and east
of Orion, and almost universally known
from the unrivaledT brilliancy of its
leading orb, bnt which otherwise pos
sesses no noteworthy attraction.
When observed through large tee
scope, Sirius presents charming APP
pearance and shines with a brilliancy
that is startling to the beholder The
lightof this star is SO strong thatwhen
the glorious orb is entering the field of
a powerful telescope. its approach is
announced by bright dawn, like that
which precedes the rising sun; and
when the star itself enters the field of
vision it shines with a dazzling splen-
dor, and its brilliancy is so great,as to
require colored glass to protect the
eye. Sirius is not only the brightest
star in the heavens, but is more than
three times brighter than an ordinary
first-magnitudc star, and is believed to
be 500 times as bright as a star of the
sixth magnitude-th the faintest visible to
the naked eye. The author of recent
work on astronomy says: Everybody
has heard of Sirius, or the dog star,
and everybody must have seen it fash
ing and scintillating SO splendidly in
the winter heavens, that to call it q
first-magnitude star does it injustice,
since no other star Of that magnitude
is at all comparable with it Sirius, in
fact, stands in class by itself as the
brightest star in the sky. Its light is
white, with shade of green which re-
quires close watching to be detected.
When it is near the horizon, or when
the atmosphere is very unsteady, Sirius
flashes prismatic colors like a great
diamond and your eyes will be fairly
dazzled when you turn your glass upon
this splendid star"
1t is believed that remarkable
changes have taken place in the color
of Sirius since it was first observed by
astronomers. Whether or not this is
the case, it is now we'll established
fact that the stars change their color,
and many instances of the kind have
been noticed in various parts OF the
heavens Sirius was described by the
ancients as fiery red star Many
years ago it was said to be pure white,
but it is now becoming Of decided
green color, as careful observer VIII
readily perceive when this star is vlsi'
BILE on a clear winter evening. Yet
many eminent astronomers dc not be-
lieve that Sirius has changed in color
and a recent writer on the subject says
1.-THE question has been much discussed
as to whether Sirius was formerly
red star. 1t is described as red by sew
eral ancient authors, but it seems to be
pretty we'll established that these de-
scriptions are most of them due to
blunder made by Cicero in his transla'
ton of the astronomical poem o.
Aratus. 1t is not impossible, though
it is highly improbable, that Sirius has
changed color"
Owing to the remarkable size ano
b-illiancy of Sirius, it was once natnr'
ally regarded as the nearest OF the
stars, but its distance is in reality SC
great that il has never been satisfacto
rily determined The most reliable
authorities, however assign to SIRIUS :