Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1895-06-21
NEAREST FIXED STAR
A PROBLEM THAT STAGGERS THE
IMAGINATION.

A PROBLEM THAT STAGGERS THE
IMAGINATION.
The Measures OF the Universe In.
comprehenstble to the Finite Mind
| A Crude illustration of the lm-
mensity of the Planetary system.
An interesting discussion took place
recently in Paris at Il meeting of scien-
fists as to the distance of the nearest
fixed star. A number OF astronomers
had been asked to make observations
of a certain star, and then TO report
the result of their observations to the
meeting.
1t was discovered that no two calcu-
lations agreed; but the astronomers
departed with feelings of great satis-
faction, for in no case was the differ
ence between any two results greater
than twenty billion miles.
There are eight planets moving
about the sun, OF which the earth is
one, and astronomers have calculated,
with very little chance OF error, the
distance of these bodies from each
other and from the sun. The various
results can be conveniently recorded
in miles.
But when we come to the fixed
stars, which are themselves suns,
many OF them far larger and brighter
and hotter than our own sun, and
around every one of which it is not i'm
probable that family of planets is
moving, the task of computing dis
tance is far more difficult. The abyss
of space that separates us from our
nearest stellar neighbor is 80 enormous
that the human mind cannot even
form the slightest conc option of it.
Even astronomers, who are suspected
by some of possessing minds OF more
than human capabilities, confess that
this distance cannot be adequately
represented in terms of miles.
Nor is the ordinary astronomical
unit, or distance of the sun from the
earth, sufficiently large to be convent
ent in expressing the distance OF the
stars. That is, If we attempt to de-
note the distance OF the nearest fixed
star by stating that it is $50 many
times the distance of the earth from
the sum-" it is found that this unit is
entirely too small to be used with con-
venience, though it measures ninety.
three million miles.
Experience has shown that it is
more satisfactory to take as unit the
distance that light travels in a year,
which is about $4,000 times the dis.
tance of the earth from the sun.
Thus. If we say that particular star
is at distance of ten-light years we
mean that it is SO far away that it will
take ten years for it's light to reach us,
supposing it to have just sprung into
existence.
1t is curious to think that such
comparatively insignificant creatures
as human beings, inhabiting . fifth
rate planet, revolving around third
rate sun, should be able to compute
with any degree OF accuracy the enor-
nous distance OF any one of these
stars. The magnitudes are so great
that the ordinary mind can compre-
hend them only when they are repre-
sented by some illustrative compari.
son. This may be done as follows:
If we select any flat surface, such as
q level field, and place on it a globe 2
feet in diameter, we may consider this
the sun. Mercury, which is the near
est planet to the sun as we'll as the
smallest OF all the planets, will be rep
resented by grain of mustard seed at
a distance of eighty-two feet. Venus
will be indicated by q small pea at
distance of 142 feet from the aforesaid
globe. The earth will be a slightly
larger pea 215 feet from The globe.
Mars will become rather large pin
head at distance of 327 feet from the
central body. Jupiter, the largest OF
all the planets-in fact, larger than
all the others put together-will as.
sumo the respectful dimensions of
moderate-sized orange nearly a quar-
ter OF mile from the globe. Saturn,
the beautiful ringed planet, will be
represented by a small orange two
fifths of a mile from the mock sun.
Uranus will be full-sized cherry or
small plum three-fourths of q mile
from the same object. Neptune, the
most remote of all the planets, so far
as known, will be fairly indicated by q
good-sized plum at a distance of one
mile and quarter.
II, however, we attempt, on the
same scale to indicate the distance
of the nearest fixed star, we impose q
heavy task on our power OF imagina-
ton. For such star would be repre-
sented by another globe, about two
feet in diameter, at distance of 5000
miles-in other words, at the anti.
podes, at the other side of the earth,
on the end of line drawn through the
earth's center from the globe repre-
senting the sun.
In 1888, Bessel succeeded in demon
strating and measuring the parallax of
the star known as Gl Cygni, and then,
by protected series of calculations,
in determining the distance of this
star as sixty billion miles. This an
nouncement created a great sensation
in the scientific world, and the fortu-
nate Bessel was loaded with congratu-
lations and medals OF honor. Then
Struve published the results OF his
observations Of the same star, in which
he located it at not less that forty bill
lion miles. Curiously enough this an.
nouncement was received as . confirm
alton OF Bessel's discovery. A matter