The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-04-16
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 the Heavens.

In the entire armament EN- bracing
both hemispheres, there are about six
Thousand stars visible to the naked eve,
iand among this immense number, one
in particular, owing 60 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 solicitude 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 received 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 a
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
iscs' distinguishing it from any other
star in the Ornament even those of
the first magnitude, with which it is
classed by astronomers
1t is true that zone star differeth
from another star in glory" and among
the 50,000,00O 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-
tion, CAMS Major, a group of thirty
one stars situated just south and east
of Orion, and almost universally known
from the unrivaled brilliancy of it's
leading orb, but which otherwise pos
sesses no noteworthy attraction.
When observed through large te' e.
scope, Sirius presents charming APP
pearance and shines with brilliancy
that is startling to the beholder. The
light of this star is so strong that, when
the glorious orb is entering the field of
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 dazzling splen-
dor, and its brilliancy is so great as to
require a 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-the faintest visible to
the naked eye. The author of a recent
work on astronomy says: Every body
has heard of Sirius, or the dog star,
and everybody must have seen it flash
ing and scintillating so splendidly in
the winter heavens, that to call it
6rst-magnitude star does it injustice,
since no other star of that magnitude
is at all comparable with it, Sirius in
fact. stands in a 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
Rncients as a fiery red star Many
years ago it was said to be pure white,
but it is now becoming Of a decided
green color, as careful observer will
readily perceive when this star is visi-
BILE on clear winter evening Yet
many eminent astronomers dc not be-
lieve that Sirius has changed in color,
and recent writer on the subject says:
THE question has been much discussed
as TO whether Sirius was formerly a
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 OF |
Aratus. 1t is not impossible though |
IL Is highly improbable, that Sirius has |
changed color"
owing to the remarkable size and |
brlllancy OF Sirius, it was once natur- |
ally regarded as the nearest OF the |
stars, but its distance is in reality so
great that 1t has never been satisfacto- !
rily determined The most reliable
authorities, however, assign to Sirius q