The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-03-27

Yes srus, Lsoh Oates ~ You wouiS see Z,
g. the Sunset Sky.

Yes szus, Leoh or,cN ~ You wo-is See II
g. the Sunset sky.
Low in the west. half hidden In the evening
twilight. there may be seen Just now star
that 400 years ago earned for itself the name
of Mira" the Wonderful And its behavior
at present seems to Justify it's name. It is in
the constellation Of the Whale and IL known
to astronomers as Omicron CetL II IL only
visible now for brief period after sundown,
when II may be seen hanging lust above the
verge OF the horizon, under Jupiter and the
Pleiadss. It's red color distinguishes II. sl.
though higher up there lie smother reddish
star In the same constellation. Last winter
the spot which this star occupies was
absolutely vacant to the nakel eye.
But . telescope showed that q faint star
was Gllmm ering there. Since then that star
has blazed up a thousandfold in brightnessi
Now IL shines with q rudy hue suggestive OF
. vast and netce connagrstion. In few
weeks probably, IL will have faded. but In the
mean time the progress Of the seasons will
have buried it In the suns rays. and when IL
ensrRes In the east next summer no eve will
be able to see It again without telescope aid,
For few days yet the Marvel OF the Whale"
may be disoerned between and 1880 o'clock
in the evening. An opera glass may be needed
to show 1t clearly in the bright twilight.
What renders this wonderful variable star
particularly interesting at present is the fact
that It Is now brighter than It usually is at Ito
maximum. and that the period Of maximum
has been delayed for several weeka Accord.
ing to the calculations OF the astronomers II
should have been at It's brightest on Feb II.
But It has continued to grow more brilliant
since that time. until IL has become several
times as bright as II was then.
Yet these facts would possess but small de-
gree Of interest outside the observatories II
We did not know something OF the dimensions
OF the star Mira and OF the Significance Of the
changes which We behold In It Mira lie a sun,
and when it blazss up. as Il IL now doing 1t
must suddenly pour forth q quantity Of heat
that II concentrated upon the earth at close
quarters would melt it and turn IL into hot
cloud. when Mira 10 faintest 1t 10 Of less than
the ninth magnitude; when brightest II has
been known to equal star OF the first maRni-
tude. That happened in ITO. when It was
as brilliant as Aldebaran. At such . time
It emits 1000 times as much light as
II does when at minimum; 1000
times as much heat. too. probably Now,w when
It is near the third magnitude 1t Is 800 times
as bright as It Was two or three months ago.
The complete cycle Of change that this won-
derful sun runs through averages about eleven
months. But for moro than two thirds OF that
period It remains faint and invisible to tho
naked eye. Its Frightening begins suddenly.
and II usually gains light faster than Il subse-
quently fades. Az Il brightens. the blood color
Of its light when at . minimum
changes to an orange red. Its spectrum then
reveals the tremendous nature Of the change
that Mira 10 undergoing; It becomes filled with
vivid lines which indicate that the vaperous
envelope Of the star has caught fire. so to SPEAK,
and Is burning with inconceivable intensity,
hydrogen In particular flaming high above the
other slements According to Mr.. Loekysr's
hypothesis these phenomena are produced BY
the repeated collisions Of swarms Of meteors
revolving around ono another In elliptical or
bits. But more probable view OF the matter
would seem to be that Mira 10 an expiring sum-
surrounded with partially cooled envelope Of
metallic vapors whose absorption almost ex-
tinguishss It's light except. at intervals. when
within. or heat eruption. which bursts the
she ell and fires the surrounding Rasss to q daz-
cling incandescenee.
IL We knew Just how far away Mira 10 we
could tell how it compares In size with our
sun We do know. however. that It is proba-
bly, q larger sun than ours We may fairly as
sumo that its parallax 10 not moro than one
third Of q second which would make its dis
lance from the earth over $4,000 times
greater than the distance OF the sun. II Il
really Ia a. far of as that. then. when it flames
with the brightness Of . first magnitude star.
II must be pouring out eight times as much
light as the sun gives forth But when It is at
its minimum It's light can be only one two hun.
-hftieth OF the suns light. And in
either case the intensity OF its heat probably
aoeords with that Of its light
Surely We cannot suppose that there are In
habited worlds revolving around such a sun
as that But worlds may be there that were once
inhabited. Did any prophet forewarn th-m
OF tim when their day-makipg sun UoulI
become a destroying furnace. and their sle-
ments would dissolve with fervent heat2
GARRETT T. SElyIss.