The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-11-07
HEAVENS IN NOVEMBER
DISTANCES or rHE PLANTS AND
FIXED stars nor MEASURED.
Double stars--yariabIc stars--rniNersal
Law OF Gravitation--rh Tho
Constcila tions.

this article We saoll 20 beyond its bound
aries and enter the boundless domain Of
sldereal space. TIE reader has no doubt
often met Wits she expression 'innumera-
bio stars" Looking at the sky with
telescope OF great magnifying power the
cpithot lnnUmor4ble bccOmes literally
tr.e but the kecnst naked eye cannot
Al one time see more than 1900 stars.
Ino nNud stars nave been divided into
s.assCs according 10 their magnitude
There are twenty stars Of the first mag
utudo, although they are b. mo- means
al lhe same brightness. Sirius. the most
brilliant OF an. exceeding in brightness
many times The standard iTst magnitude
star Attain m tho constellation Aquila,
while Affair is considerably brighter than
p0lluN ln the constellation. ccmini the
last in the iist OF the first magnitude stars.
There are about sixty stars OF the sec
ond two hundred Of tho third. etc, etc.
VISIBLE 10 THE NAKED EYE
The stars OF the FIRST cix magnitudes
are considered visible 10 tho unaided eye.
and with the seventh magnitude tho tell
escopic stars begin. whose number in-
creuscs immensely With the magnifying
power of the telescope. Knowing the an
giles under which the radius of the earth
which technically is called its parsllax.
the calculation OF the distance OF the
moon or planet from as I'm an easy prob
lem. bat the fixed stars are at such enor-
nous distance from Ms that there Is no
such uarallax.
No telescope. no matter what iis magni-
tying power is. has ever revealed "a yisi-
Bile disk of "a fixed star For this reason
astronomers tried whether the immense
radious of The earth's orbit. amounting 10
n 100000 miles would present "a parallaN.
called the annual parallay of stars. I'm
order 40 enable Themselves 10 find their
distances. The experiment has thus far
proved sufficiently successful IN the case
or tWeniy-cight stars The distance OF
even the nearest fixed star if EXPRESSED
~ miles, is so immense as 10 become un-
meaning. and in order 10 bring these ST.
dercal distances within the power OF hui
man understanding. "a now unit was chOs-
en- Light is transmitted through space
at a rate of $4,000 miles during "A second
of time and the space II would traverse
within a year IS called a light year This
light year is the unit OF sidereal disian-
ces.
NJ is certainly thrilling and awo-inspir-
Ing fact. that the nearest fixed star g. q
little more than three light years from
u.s. This is the first magnitude star Al
pha Centauri. not visible In our latitude.
The Pole star IS about fifty light years
from us. 80 that were Il now expunged
ont Of existence. it would stu shine FOR
fifty years 10 come. = he reader can cas-
llv imagine what the vastness Of orhs
must bo which az such collasal distances.
arc still visible. Compared with most of
the fixed stars our own sun. despite its
vastncss. dwindles into insgnihcance.
But 70 is not alone the size and distance
Df those orbs that mn AIS with wonder
and awe, but also the variety they pre-
sent AS 10 color and their connection with
other suns.
As TO DOUBLE STARS.
Speaking of double stars we must dis
anguish between such as are OFFICIALLY
iouble-that is. as are simply i'm line, and
any distance from each Other-and such
ts are physically double. and under the
influence of each others attraction.
The latter present trait which is want
.ng boz our own solar system, viz. a sun
With it's satellites revolving; another sun
with its subordinate members lunary sys-
.om. as they are called. we know now az
least two hundred. But this is not an.
stars have been separated by telescopes
INTO more than TWO stars. thus physically
connected. SD that We hear Of triple and
multiple stars. There Is "a stan i'm the
beautiful winter constellation orion.
which consists OF SIS suns revolving about
each othcr-a scxtuple star
~ is highly probable that each Of these
six SUNS has ITS own planets revolving
about a. whose inhabitants, If there are
such. would enjoy the unspeakably grand
spectacle OF six rising and setting suns.
The completely OF such motions battles
the human mind. ana thus nature chal-
lenges the mathemuicians.
N has been observed that some stars
PA the course of revolving years lost come
of their brightness. ana some were BAN
ished from view. aud this brings Us TO the
subject OF variable and temporary stars.
fn some cases the fluctuations were
gradual and regular, IN others quite ir-
regular one o. the most remarkable OF
fbe variable stars is In the constellation
Pcrscus which about o'clock IN the
November evenings, may be seen near the
meridian and the fine constellation Of
Andromcda and Pegasus. This Naridble
sf.r Aleol IS the casternmost star IN the
handle of AndrOmeda. 10 changes from
the second 10 the fourth magnitude IN me
short time of three and hair hours ana
back again in the same time, then II re-
mains thus for nearly three days aitei
which the same changes recur Anolhe'
very remarkable variable star Is in the
cons trlldtiOu itiUr. anu ~ 'at4'u ~"
ar tho wonderful star. 70 was the nrst
variable star known. within a hundred
wears. il changes from he ninth to the
fourth and even second magnitude. Inc
second I'm the list Of first magnitude stars
is Eta Argus. not being visible In TINS
country. I'M 1913 10 came next 20 SIRIUS
but since 1865 has been or the seVen'h
magnitude I'm 1872 magnificent star
suddenly burst forth In the circumpolar
constellation Cassiopeia which rNaheo
venus itself I'm brlllancy. Just as quick
IA IA. II had appeared II faded away ana
has never again been seen This star is an
Example of "a temporary star. IL Is not
Known whether such temporary stars are
variable ones OF long periods or lnNlsi-
panty. nor has any reliable theory been
established ln regards 10 bpth Narlapie
end temporary stars, Star clusters are
,..c,,ns of stars closely packed together.
T,ho most remarkable and familiar eN-
annie OF such sclusters Is the plciades.
- which seven stars may be seen by @
+,torahiv keen eye. Praesepe IN the lodi-
acai constellation. Cancer y announcer clus-
ION NV means Of "a small telescope II ioohs
uke faint cloud but viewed with a pow
.rful telescope u presents one OF the Inoa'
,,.e,i0cent objects in the heavens star
clusters are always receivable by teie-
come hut not so with those peculiar
cloud-like objects known by the name
sof nebuiae. OF which az present NV0v a,t
,nown. only three Of them arc N'si','