The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-09-25

fore you, westward. lol Vega rises to
view, white, SO pure looking, and radi-
ating a silver splendor almost equal to
the unrivaled effulgence of Sirius.
No stellar body seems more nstural-
merely on account of the name Lyra.
but also because of the graceful clus-
tering of sister stars round the difuser
of argentine radiance, whose beauty
makes one easily recall the old, hack
neyed, yet ever lovely phrase tho
Spheres" to which, since the scientific
world has grown SO familiar with.
electricity and its many modes of
manifestation. a new significance and
q broader application attach than in
former years.
The dignity now claimed for Alpha
of Ursa Minor. the Little Bear, was
fourteen thousand years ago possessed
by Vega. to which. in conseounce of
the procession of the equinoxes, the
same eminence will again devolve; and
in about twelve thousand years,
if the earth still continues to
sustain its human millions. yonder sill
very light viii be pointed ont to the
children Of that remote future as the
polar star of the terrestrial globe
Through comparison with other dis
tant stellar bodies and as the result of
careful calculations, Vega is known to
be solar sphere forty-seven times
more voluminous than the sun of our
system. which, Il placed at the dis
lance of Vega from us, would dwindle
to little fifth magnitude star, hardly
visible to the ordinary naked eye.
Like Arcturus and Deneb of Cygnus
Vega is rapidly approaching our sun.
the rates of speed being forty-one
miles per second for Arcturus. forty for
Deneb, and forty-four for Vega, whose
place in the sky. moreover, much near
er Our anticipated future home in the
constellation OF Hercules than is that
of either of the other two Vegas
rapid approach has made 1t apparent
that the great silvery sun is not dou BILE,
as was formerly the opinion of as
tronomers to a considerable extent;
for the small star discerned besides it
seems to remain stationary, SO to speak.
posed companion is speeding. like the
celestial huntress Diana. across the
skyey plains. The little star just men
toned is indeed diminutive. apparen t
ly, as it takes rank among ninth
magnitude spheres; but in reality it
may dwarf even Vega, provided that
one can discover enough trillions Of
miles of distance between them.
Not far from Vega. however, there is
. curious star, Epsilon Of the Tyre,
which, if looked at carefully. elongates
into an oval: while an exceptionally
sharp eye will behold it separate and
become two stars that, when an opera
glass is directed upon them, stand at a
considerable distance apart. Nor is
this all; for powerful telescope will
cause these two to evolve each a COM
panion, thus forming quadruple
group whereof the four componente, it
is calculated, revolve about a common
center in a period little short of mil
lion years. Besides this remarkable
cluster of stars. the constellation of
Lyra contains an apnular nebula, terv
of growing denser toward the center.
as is usually the case, it there displays
almost a vacuum.
The name Vega is a corruption OF
the Arabic al-nasr-al-WalSi, the wing
of the Vulture. The Chinese call it
Che-Nin, the star of the Tyre, and
concerning it they relate the pretty
legend that follows: POug-Y eng, hav-
ing lost his father and being too poor
to afford respectable funeral, bar
tered his freedom for the sum of ten
thousand sapeks in order to honor his
parents memory. After the obseGuies
he was bewailing the vigor of his lot
when, 10! a woman beautiful as day it,
self, accosting him, profferea him not
only her hand, but like wise the where
withal to regain his liberty. For one
month the pair enjoyed the delighta
of the honeymoon, and then. disclose
ing her name and informing him that
she had been sent to him by the Mas
ter of the Sky, the fair lady bade
Tong Yeng farewell and reascended
to her place in the armament. Will
liam Struthers, in Detroit Free Press.