Evening journal., 1894-02-17
The TwINKLlNe STARS.
How Far Are They Away aud Then What
Lies beyond:

How Tar Are They Away and Then what
Lies DeSonds
or the 100 600, 900 or more stars which
are visible with astronomical instruments,
the distances from the earth OF only
very few have been measured with even
an approximation 60 accuracy. Most OF
the stars appear 60 be so far away that
the change in their apparent place caused
by viewing them from opposite sides OF
the earth's orbit-and that orbit Is about
1S6, 600, 900 miles across-is 50 slight that
st escapes certain detection. Only about
30 stars have thus far yielded definite re-
suits in tho attempt 20 measure their dis
tances, and even those results are too Of
ten exceedingly conflicting and uncertain.
The nearest star thus far discovered is one
OF the first magnitude, not visible from
the United States or Europe. IL Is the
star called Alpha in the constellation of
the Centaur in tho southern hemisphere
Of the heavens.
something like 20, ,OOO, ,OOO, 600 900 miles,
or about 2l5, 900 times az great rs the dis
tance Of the sun from the earth.
The next nearest star, as far as known,
Is little sixth magnitude twinkIer, barely
visible TO the naked eye, in the constelln-
tion of Cygnus, popularly called the north
ern cross. The distance OF this star which
IL known 20 astronomers ns Gl Cygni, is
variously estimated at from 40 900, ,OOO,-
600 900 20 90, 900 600 600, 900 miles, or two
or three times that of tho bright star in
the Ceutaur.
The brightness Of the stars, ns we see
them, Is, then, no measure Of their COM
parative distance. A very bright star
may be much more distant than very
faint one, the differencein brilliance being
due 20 the greater magnitude Of the more
distant star. Sirius, or the dog star, for
instance, which scintllates so splendidly
in the winter sky, is more distant than
the little star 81 Cygni, the latter being In
fact very much smaller sun than ours,
while Sirius is far larger one.
It thus appears that, while the efforts 20
measure the distance Of the stars have not
been very successful, yet they have re-
suited in giving MS n wonderful insight in
TO the arrangement Of the universe of suns
in the midst OF which We dwell. They
have proved that large stars and small
stars are scattered through space at Vari-
GUS distances from one another and from
us; that the dimensions of the blazing
bodies which we call stars or suns, vary
to AN enormous extent. and that our own
sun, great, glorious and overpowering as
It seems to MS, really belongs to a quite
inferior rank.
But It is possible that before many years
our knowledge of the distances of the
stars may be greatly extended. Spectre
Ecopic investigation in the ease of binary
stars, as those are called which circle in
pairs around theircommon center of grav-
direction.
Recently, for instance, Mr.. G. w. COLES,
Jr., has calculated, from tho results Of
such investigation, the mean distance of
% stars situated i'm the northern hemis-
phere of the heavens, and he finds IL equal
TO the distance which light would travel
in about go years. That distance Is not
less than $50, 900, 600, 600, 900 miles, or
more than 43 times as great as the dis
tance of the nearest known star, Alpha
Centauri.
Yet, enormous as such distance is, 10 is
nearly certain that the average distance Of
all the stars composing the visible uni
verse is still greater. And here and there
| the starry heavens, even in their richest
regions present black and apparently emp
/ ty spaces through which we seem TO look
out from the bounds Of the visible uni
verse into fathomlcss depths beyond.
But is there any thoughtful mind which
can avoid asking itself the question,
"What lies beyond? When we come to
the outermost star Of the universe what
thoni" That is question which even as
tronomy. with all it's marvellous wealth Of
discovery and achievement. cannot an
swer-at least not Youth 3 Compan-
ion.