The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-03-04

How Far Are They Away and Then What
Lies DeS ond?
OF tho 1O0, Zoo, 900 or more stars which
are visible with astronomical instruments,
the distances from the earth of only a
very few have been measured with even
an approximation to accuracy. Most of
the stars appear to be 20 far away that
the change in their apparent place caused
by viewing them from opposite sides of
the enrth's orbit--and that orbit il about
lS6, 600, 000 miles aoross-is 80 slight that
1t escapes certain detection. Only about
30 staIa have thus far yielded definite re-
suits in the attempt TO 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 Grst magnitude, not visible from
tho United States or Europe. 1t il the
star called Alpha in the constellation of
the CCntaur in the southern hemisphere
of the heavens.
The distance Of this star appears to be
something like 10000. O00, goo, GOO miles,
or about 2l5, 900 times as great rs the dis
lance of the sun from the earth.
The next nearest star, as far rs known,
Is a little sixth magnitude twinkler, barely
visible to the naked eye, in the constella-
Nlbh VI I y SiuS' ppINldilg NdhtN uut hplbn-
ern cross. The distance of this star which
Is known to astronomers as Gl Cygni, Is
variously estimated at from 30. 900, 0O0,-
0OO, 900 TO 60, OOO, 200, coo, 900 miles, or two
or three times that of the bright star i'll
tho Centaur.
The brightness of tho stars, MS we see
them, is, then, no measure of their com
parative distance. a very bright star
may he much more distant than n very
| faint one, the difference in lrilliance being
| due to the greater magnitude OF the moro
| distant star. Sirius, or the dog star, for
| instance, which scintillates so.splendidly
| in the winter sky, is more distant than
| the little star 81 Cygni, the latter being in
| fact II very much smaller sun than ours,
while Sirius is II far larger one.
1t thus appears that, while the efforts TO
| measure the distance of the stars have Lot
| been very successful, yet they have re-
| suited in giving US 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, bluT!uuS anu uNtrIlpNtIilB us
it seems to us, really belongs to quite
| inferior rank.
! But it is possible that before many years
| our knowledge of the distances Of the
stars may be greatly extended. Spectre
SCOPE investigation in the case of binary
stars, as those are callet which circle in
| pairs around theircommon center of grav-
! ity, is beginning to help us II little in this
| direction.
Recently, for instance, Mr.. G. W. COLES,
Jr., has calculated, from the results of
such investigation, the mean distance of
9j stars situated in tho nor hcrn hemis-
| phere of the l. 'avens, aud lie finds it equal
to the distance W ich ! ;ht would travel
! in Gbout 800 ears. Thu distance it, not
less than SIC, G0G, 600 ,OC),CO0 miles, or
more than a. times as great IA tho dis
lance Of the nearest known star, Alpaa
Ceutauri.
Yet, cnorn' Gus as such distance is IT is
nearly cert in thai tine average distance OF
all the stars composing tho 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 lool,
out from tho bounds of the visible uni
verse into jathomless depths beyond.
But il there any thoughtful mind which
can avoid asking itself the question,
"What lies beyond? When we como to
the outermost star of the universe, what
then?" That il II question which even MS
tronomy, with all its marvellous wealth Of
discovery and achievement, cannot an
| swer-at least not yet.--Iouth s Compan-
! ion.