The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1894-07-06
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t,.'~ a~~8red i~ The ,ra star c',:~ n,s
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nlH'e2 is aat ,u ae sword ueu,tl4 OF Peisaas.
THIS g.a, .. la1 Just be tscernod by the
tnaded eye as a dull point Of light. When
however, the telescope is directed upon the
light is seen to emanate from a myriad of
of brilliant points, which form a miniature
| richly wrought with beautiful gems. 1t is
obvious that all these stars, or suns we may
perhaps call them, are allied to constitute some
mighty system in far distant space.
In case of other clusters, such as the superb
globular cluster in Hercules, the several stars
seen from our point of view appear to be it
dividually fainter .han the stars in cluster of
Perseus. But what the stars in Hercules
group lack in individual brightness they make
up for by abundant number. This wonder
full object consists veItabIy of ball of stars
so hume rous and so close together that in the
central portions We are not able to distinguish
the several POI nts. We only see the light
dispersed from them collectively. On t he
outer regions Of this astonishing accociation Of
stellar points the stars are more naturally
sparsely distributed, and we are thus able to
discriminate the different individuals.
Lastly the observer, during his hour with
the stars, should study some of the nebu';e
both great and small, which are literally
strewn over the heavens. Ne doubt most of
these objects are so extr emely faint that we
have to invoke the help of really powerful
telescopes when we want TO do justice to
the delicacy and to perceive the full extent of
such light stains on the sky. The most beauti-
ful of these objects as well as most celebrated
is the great nebulain Orion which les beneath
the welknown be in that constellation and
serves as a glorious setting or halo around the
remarkable multiple star to which | have
already referred. The great nebula in Orion
is evidently stupendous mass of gas which
has been heated to a temperature so elevated
that it slows with a blush hue characteristic
of the partcu ular materials of which it is
composed. Indeed, the light of the nebula,
when suitably examined, discloses to the
astronmer the actual elements from which this
great structure is composed 1t appears that
the light hich this glowing gas yields is of
the same character as the light given off by
incandescent hydrogen. We thus infer that
hydrogen is an important constituent in the
composition of the remote ce lestlal body.
Another object of the same class which will
naturally attract attention is great nebula in
Andromeda. This also, appears to be
gaseous object, but it is plainly of very
different character from the great nebula in
Orion The nebula in Andromeda is so vast
that the whole so lar system including all the
planets placed at their true distances, would
form IN inappreciable speck if plunged in the
mighty glowing mass.
The owner of telescope will ere long dis
cover that the heavens contain abundant
materials for many an hour of delightful
watching indeed, we may say thai years Of
assGu"l4s i7t,o" 1co'n =, -.,scs-s;v ,,afsa -
dfliceil o. rvef
with even "":.'i
his sdu.;rati~