The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-11-10


positions for observing are cetus, the
Whale. which occupies the lower half Of
the southeastern quadrant OF the heavens
mot particularly striking as constella-
ton, and interesting chiefly for Its variable
star Mira; Pegasus, the Winged Horse
marked by tho great Square, which al
o'clock has Just crossed the meridian and
Is nearly overhead tho Swan tCyngus), OF
| Northern Cross, In midheayens In the
| northwest, easily recognized from the cross
| like arrangement OF its fve or six brighter
| stars; Cassiopeia, now seated In her most
commanding position directly above the
Pole Star; Perseus, in midheavens In the
northeast, containing two stars OF the Sec
ond magnitude, one OF which is the vari-
able star Algcl, In the Head Of Medusa,
carried by Perseus In his left hand; An
dron.eda, marked by three stars OF the
second magnitude, which, together with the
star in the breast OF Perseus form the
handle Of large dipper- shaped figure. OF
which the Square of Pegasus is the bowl,
the star in the Maiden's Head forming one
corner OF the Square; and Aries, Taurus
and Auriga, which together fill a good por-
tion OF the eastern quadrant Of the heavens.
One OF the most interesting OF the OBJ
jects which we have before us as we face
the east Is tho sparkling little cluster of
the Pleiades. In Grecian fable the Pleiades
were the daughters OF Atlas and the ocean
nymph. Pleione, whom Jupiter, to rescue
them from Orion. changed into pigeons and
Lost Pleiad" who, some said, has wasted
away win weeping over the fall Of Troy,
or according to another account. had with
drawn her light from shame at having mar.
m <syn nj inn NJ IN
fact that only six stars could be counted in
the ,er, while there were seven daugh-
lers, ana the eArlier poets and astronomers
had reckoned seven stars
what became OF the Lost Plead Is still all
unanswered question. At the present time
Out SIX stars can be seen in THE clusters by
eyes OF only ordinary keenness. Yet lust be-
low the limit of ordinary vision there are
several which have been seen by persons OF
extraordinary eyesight. Maestiin, the tutor
OF hepler, counted fourteen Pleads and
mapped eleven before the invention OF the
telescope, and Miss Airy also saw fourteen
and mapped twelve.
The highest Pleiad now is Alcyune, Of the
third magnitude. But there are reasons for
thinking that this was not the brightest
star IN the cluster in the time OF Ptoemy,
ana IL is not improbable that others OF
-hese stars have changed in brilliancy in
me course OF time, and that the loss of the
fieiad was an actual case of diminution in
spiendor. Professor Il. c.. Pickering has
picked cut the star now known as Pleione--
or both Atlas and Pleione have been placed
by astronomers in the cluster by the side
u their daughters--as very likely to be tie
'tar in question. This star has peculiar
'pectrum-one which indicates that the |
'tar Is largely gaseous, and therefore very
likely to be subject to variation In bright |
less.
This little cluster, which so much en- |
jagged the attention of ancient star gazers. |
las proved TO be an object of especial in |
crest for modern astronomers. Photog-
apply has shown not only that 1t contains |
Upward of 5000 stars--some of the latest |
are said to show, within limits
Witch are properly to be assigned TO the
'luster, over 5000 stars--but also that 1t Is
involved in an extensive nebuia, which is
condensed about the stars AL
yone Merope, Electra and Mala, and forms
nllny background, somewhat curdled in |
appearance. for the whole OF that part of
no cluster seen with the naked eye. Fur
hermore. Professor Barnard found, upon
the cluster and its surround
nes with a portrait lens and with the long
Exposure of ten hours, that the entire sur
ouhding region over n space about equal
n area To the bowl OF the Great Dipper, is
lieu Win more or less connected patches |
u faint nebulosity. There can be no cues
ION that the stars here are associated with
ms nebulous matter, are actually imbedded
n IT, and that they form true and not
lefely an optical cluster. The Pleiades NAV
9 regarded, then, as forming a separate de-
artment OF the universe. so to speak. and
ms tact suggests several interesting ques-
IONS which can net as yet be answered
lave these stars been formed by the partial
of this nebulous matter? Are
ley really suns or are they still in that
flmltive condition which, on Professor |
ockyer's "Meteoritis Theory" marks The |
lclp!ent stage of sun life-are they sim
~ ccndensing shoals OF white hot meteors?
gain, 1t would be interesting to know how
" away these stars are that we might
'rm some idea of their size and of the
ntual dimensions of the system which they |
'rm From rather uncertain data it has
cen estimated that the distance OF the {
!elades from us is not less than $50 light |
sars,' or about twenty five times that of
Mus Assuming this to be the case l
Tough really the estimate Is little better
AN random guess-the naked-eye stars
the cluster must be vastly superior in
ould dwindle to star of about he tenth
hBhitude IL would require a good three q
en- telescope at the least TO discover 1t. 7
leytme must surprass II in actual splendor
thousand times. Figuring on the same \
sis we can calculate that the size of the b
lister, which is roughly globular, is such y
at light requires seven years to speed r
ross 1t from sidE' 10 side, Were its GEN. Y
Al star in the place of the sun, the
termost stars Of the globular portion OF r
cluster wtnhld be found nearly at the y
stance of Alpha Centauri, the suns near =
I stellar neighbor, while its outlying :
'eamers would extend far beyond =
On the nights of the 18th. l4th and 18th OF u
month We may look for the annual =
iurrence of the November meteors-the "
onids, so called from the circumstances Il
1t the point from the direction of which a
" seem 10 shoot, their radiant" Ia in ~
constellation Leo, In 1889, according Ia
calculation OF astronomers. a shower, O
these meteors is due-one OF those grand III
d terrifying displays which the meteor g.
stem gives at intervals OF thirty-thre A
l's ana experience has shown that In the III
ar or two preceding the shower there Is in
TO be an unusually fine display, though OF