Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-06-19
ASTRONOMY CLASS.
APROBLEM THAT THE STAR SHARPS
ARE TRYING TO SOLVE.

The Nearest Fixed Star-The Distance Bill
lions of NIiles-So Far Away Its Loca-
ton Can Be Appreciated Only by Com
parison With Known Distances.
An interesting discussion took place
recently in Paris at meeting of scien-
lists as to the distance of the nearest
fixed star. A number of astronomers had
been asked to make observations of
certain star, and then to report the result
of these observations to the meeting.
1t was discovered that no two calcula-
tions agreed, but the astronomers de-
parted with feelings of great satisfaction,
for in no case was the difference between
nny two results greater than 20, 900, ,000,-
900 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 con-
veniently 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 improbable that a
family of planets is moving, the task of
computing distance is far more difficult
The abyss of space that separates us from
our nearest stellar neighbor is so enor
nous that the human mind cannot even
form the slightest conception of it.
Even astronomers, who are suspected by
some of possessing minds of more than
human capabilities, confess that this dis
tance 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 convenient in ex-
pressing the distance of the stars-that
is, if we attempt to denote 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 convenience, though it measures
100000 miles.
Experience has shown that it is more
satisfactory to take as unit the distance
that light travels in year, which is
about 5000 times the distance of the
earth from the sun. Thus, if we say a
particular star is at a distance of ten
light years we mean that it is so far
away that it will take ten years for its
light to reach us, supposing it to have
just sprung into existence.
1t is curious to think that such COM
paratively insignificant creatures as hu-
man beings, inhabiting a fifth rate
planet, revolving around a third rate
sun, should be able to compute with any
degree Of accuracy the enormous dis
tance of any one Of these stars. The
magnitudes are so great that the ordi-
nary mind can comprehend them only
when they are represented by some il
Illustrative comparison. This may be
done as follows:
If we select any flat surface, such as a
level field, and place ON it a globe 2
feet in diameter we may consider this
the sun. Mercury, which is the nearest
planet to the sun as we'll as the smallest
of all the planets, will be represented by
a grain of mustard seed at distance of
80 feet. Venus will be indicated by a
small pea at distance of 142 feet from
the aforesaid globe. The earth will be
slightly larger pea 215 feet from the
globe. Mars will become rather large
pinhead 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-wil1 assume
the respectable dimensions of moder-
ate sized orange nearly quarter of a
mile from the globe. Saturn, the beau
tiful ringed planet, will be represented
by small orange two-fifths of mile
from the mock sun. Uranus will be a
full sized cherry or small plum three
fourths of mile from the same object
Neptune, the most remote of all the
planets, so far as known, will be fairly
indicated by a good sized plum at dis
tance of II miles.
Ii, however, we attempt on the same
scale to indicate the distance of the near
est fixed star, we impose a heavy task
on our power of imagination. For such
a star would be represented by another
globe, about 2 feet in diameter, at a dis
tance of 5000 miles-in other words, at
the antipodes, at the other side of the
earth, on the end of a line drawn
through the earth S center from the globe
representing the sun.
t.,
strating and measuring the parallax of
the star known as 61 Cygni, and then,
by protracted series of calculations, in
determining the distance of this star as
10000, 900, 900 miles This announce
ment created great sensation in the
scientific world, and the fortunate Bessel
was loaded with congratulations and
medals of honor. Then Struve published
the results of his observations of the
same star, in which he located it at not
less than 40, 900, 900, 900 miles, Curious
ly enough this announcement was re-
ceived as confirmation of Bessel's dis
covery. A matter of 10000, 900. 900
miles was trif1e
However, one star is known to be
nearer than 81 Cygni This is the star
known as Alpha Centauri, which is sit
uated in the left foot of the constella-
ton of the Centaur in the southern heav-
ems. 1t is never visible in northern lati-
tudes, and its distance is about 35, ,O00,-
OOO,0 miles. This distance is repre-
sented in terms of light years, as ex-
planned above, by 3.6-that is to say, if
this star should suddenly spring into ex-
istence from nothingness we should
know nothing about it until nearly four
years had passed New York World.