The morning call., 1893-03-29
THE STAR JUMPED.
A Sirius but Not Alarming
Manifestation.
Some Consolation for the Poet, the
Belated Wanderer and the Ad-
nirer of the Beautiful.

The caImness GOODNESS and apparent i'm
passivity of the stars have always consti-
tuted favorite subject Of the imprisoned
poet. 1t seemed to rifle him somehow that
he couldn't get at those steady twnklers
and shake them up bit. But the last night
or two the stars have to all appearance lost
their reputation for steadness.
They have been jumping up and down,
and in at least one case-that of the dog
star, Sirlus-have been arrayed in divers
celors aud have thrown off sc!ntlllating
fireworks
People out in the evening have glanced at
the heavens and then around them with
amazement. Between and u o'clock in
the west appeared n particularly large globe
of sidereal fire and the terms "asteroid,"
ELIAS fire, "irebah" were freely bruited
about with varying vagueness.
what WAS ths cause of all these celestial
pyrotechnics? Is the slar-roet TO consider
the stars becoming lost to Sobriety and un-
steady of gait?
Professor Davidson said so yesterday.
According TO his exclamation and that of
his assistant Frank Edmnnds, the peculiar
phenomenon noted are due altogether To the
disturbed condition of the atmosphere.
The atmosphere. they went on to say. lies
in strata between the earth and the stars
the strata being determined by the tenn
berature. In an ordinary way the rays
from me stars should come to the eye In
straight line.
But the recent sudden change to extreme
heat on The eaTth's surface caused the
strata to be thoroughly ngitated, the effect
being that the rays. instead Of falling in
straight line, met the eye at constantly
changing angles. Thus the stars them
selves appeared to jump around and other
wise disport themselves In an unusual way.
As to the alleged globe Of fire the scisn-
lists have no doubt, although they did not
themselves see if, that it was Sirius. The
same causes that led to the apparent Jump
ing action of the stars would account for
that particular luminary's apparently in
creased size. its Sclntillatons and prismatc
cOlors. Add TO this the position in which
this wonder was seen, and they are uosit We
that 1t was Sirius under conditions of strong
excitement.
''fO understand the condition of the at
mosphere at such a time" said a scientific
authority, you have only to remember
how the air looks Immediately above the
level OF field OF grain. The same Quiver-
ing appearance is also noted Above gas
Jets by anyone looking at some distant
object so that the space Immediately above
the light comes about half way between
his eye and the object in view.
THE best conditions for observing the
stars is after a storm; then the air IS cool
and homogeneous. There is no heated air
rising mp in this case and the stars ap-
pear correct or usual in magnitude. Last
night stars Of sixth or seventh magnitude
appeared OF third or fourth magnitude"
This scientific explanation may relieve
some belated home-gOers who imagined
that their eyes deceived them or that they
had supped not wisely but too well.
The poet too, and all who admire the
beautiful! may continue their devotion re-
assured by the authoritative dictum of
science.
Los ANGELES, March 2S.-Professor Ira
Moore of the State Normal School, speak
ing OF the strange star, declares it unpreee-
dented. He says ne doubts that such
phenomenon really was observed but If it
is true, there is no accounting for il. He
doubts it, however