The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1892-04-08
THE KING OF SUNS.
Wonderful Facts Regarding Sirius,
the Dog Star.
\ Mighty Giant Among suns, Compared
with Which Our Own sinks Into
InsiGnificsnce-The brightest
Star In the HeavenS-

In the entire armament, embracing
both hemiSpheres, there are about six
thousand stars visible to the naked eve
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
esq 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
superstItIOus. 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 il glowing and sciutillating on
clear and frosty night in winter. must
have behcld with awe and admiration
its indcScribable 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 armament. even those of
the first magnitude, with which il is
clasSed by astronomers
IT is true that @'onc star difTereth
from another star in glory" and among
the 80, 900, 900 stars revealed by the
great telescopes of the present day, the
most surprising glory unqucstionably
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 veIsally known
from the unrivaled brilliancy of its
leading orb, but which otherwise pos
sesses no noteworthy attraction.
When observed through n large te' e.
scope, Sirius presents charming ap-
pearance and shines with Il 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
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 dazzling splcn-
dor, and its brilliancy is so great as TO
require a colored glass 10 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 70
be 500 times as bright a star of the
sixth magnitude--the faintest visible 70
the naked eye. The author of n recent
work on astronomy says: Everybody
has heard of Sirius, or the dog star,
and every body must have seen it flash
ing and scintillating so spLendidly in
the winter heavens, that to call it n
first-magnitude star does il injustice,
since no other star of that magnitude
is at all comparable with it Sirius, in
fact, stands in a class by itself the
brightest star in the sky. Its light is
white, with shade of green, which re-
quires close watching to be detected.
When il 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"
changes have taken place in the color
of Sirius since IL was first observed by
astronomers. Whether or not this Is
the case, it is now a well 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 a fiery red star. Many
y 70 no ,t-bi ITO
but it is now becoming of a decided
green color, as a careful observer will
readily perceive when this star is visi
BILE on a 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 q
red star. 1t is described as red by sew
eral ancient authors, but it seems to be
pretty well established that these de-
scriptions are most of them due to g
blunder made by Cicero in his transla
ton of the astronomical poem o1
Aratus. 1t is not impossible, though
it is highly improbable, that Sirius has
changed color"
Owing to the remarkable size and
brilliancy of Sirius, it was once natur
ally regarded as the nearest OF the
stars, but its distance is in reality sc
great that ii has never been satisfacto
rily determined. The most reliable
authorities, however, assign to Sirius q
distance of 100, 900, 600, 900, 900 miles
which is five times the distance o
Alpho Centauri the nearest sta
known TO astronomers-and a million
times the suns distance from our earth
1t has been estimated that the bril-
liancy of Sirius is 800 times create
than that of the sun, and if we assum
that the intrinsic brightness of its sur