The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1895-11-15
HEB Triple STIR F0IIHD.
First IN History Of Astronomy Found By Dr.,
See, Of Chicago.
This Astronomer SHOWS tic Existence OK
Third Body IN 40 OPhisohl"-9S,
O0,OO0.0O0.OOO Miles OF - Keep
ier's Solution simpliaed.

\ triple star has been 5ound-the first
in the history of astronomy-and a Chi
cago man is the fnder-T. J. j. See, i.
H., Phi. D., Of Chicago university.
This fact deserves attention for more
reasons than one. Astronomers have
long been accustomed to keep their eyes
on Chicago for new scientific develop
ments. The one man Of this day who
has discovered more double stars and
measured more double stars located
by others than any one Of his contem-
poraries is a Chicago man, Prof. S. w.
Burnham. Now comes DR.. See, a work.
ing Chicago educator, end plucks from
the limitless mysteries Of the heavensa
fact never dreamed of by astronomers.
Dr. See has done another service to as
tronomers in finding a solution Of KEEP
ler's equation, which has been longed
for nearly 300 years. and which facili-
tates 100 fold the work of astronomers
in computing orbits Of celestial tray
eiers.
This star belongs to the constellation
0phiuchus, and in astronomy is known
as 20 0phiuchi. The discovery that 10
0phiuchi is a triple star must not be
taken to mean triple in the sense that
its third portion is visible. DR.. Sees
work has been to demonstrate the ex.-
istence, as a part of the star, of q dark
body of considerable size, which exer.
cises a marked influence on the orbital
motion Of the whole star.
The dark attendantupon the compan-
ion star portion of the 20 Ophiuchi is
the first one of the kind ever discovered.
The only similar body is that which
accompanies Sirius in his rambles. So
long ago as 1910 Prof, Bessel, the honest
German astronomer, warned the scien-
tifc world that Sirius was given to &C.
centricity and predicted that one day
its crookedness of conduct would be
found to be the effect of some cloaked
and hooded companion.
This star was discovered to be double
by William Herschel in 1879. Since
that date it has been much observed
and since 1925 studied with much care.
Strive, Bessel, Dawes, Nader, Schi.
aparelli, Dembowslri, Burnham and
Hall are some of the eminent star
gazers who have given it attention. In
mass, 70 0rphiuchi is more than twice
as great as our sun. Each of the visible
portions is as large as the sun. It is
100000 times as far from us as the sun
that is, 100000 times g3,OOO.OOO
miles. It's light reaches US only after
16 years travel through space, while
the light of the sun comes to us in
eight minutes. It's axis is in length %
times the distance of the sun from the
earth, or 2,046,OOG,OOO miles.
DR.. See does not claim originality
for his solution. The possibility for
such solution was demonstrated by
Watterson, an English astronomer.
Prof, Dubois, of Brest, France. revived
the method but neither he nor Waiter
son seemed to perceive the importance
of the discovery. When DR.. See began
to study double stars he felt the need of
a simple solution of Kepler's equation.
Having examined Dubois method, he
made it practicable. DR.. Sees paper
OH this solution was read last June be-
fore the Royal Astronomical society Of
London.
The first fruit of DR.. Sees solution of
Kepler's equation is the correction of
20 0phiuche's orbit, and incidentally
the revelation of the presence of its
dark attendant.