The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-05-19

that the effect observed was due to
gravitation-the mere contraction OF
mass by an amount that could not be
detected by human observers. All that
the eminent German attempted to do,
though, was to explain a maintenance
of temperature at an approximate
| uniform degree. But Lane went step
further. He held that the contraction
of gaseous body from a diffused to a
| compact state was attended by an in
crease of temperature. And his doc
| trine has been received with favor
| This new view of the matter has led
| to a suspicion that a fresh classified
| ton Of the stars. on basis of their
| age, might be necessary. 1t is conced-
ed that the white ones, like Sirius, are
the hottest; that the yellow ones, Like
| the sun and Arcturus, are a little cooler,
and that the red ones are yet colder.
Secchi put the white ones in his first
class, and it has been assumed that
| they came nearer to the nebula, histor-
| ically, than any others. He put the
yellow stars in a second class, and di-
vided the red ones into his third and
fourth classes.
But Lockyer, who has a theory to
account for moderately hot nebula to
start with, nevertheless believes that
every star first goes through an ascend
ing scale of temperature, and then, af-
ter passing a certain climax deScends
again. Hence he makes seven classes
instead Of four. He puts a part of the
dark red stars into his first, among the
very younger celestial bodies a part
of the light red ones in the next older
class, a part of the yellow ones in the
third and the white ones in the fourth,
assuming that they have reached ma
turity. Then he comes down the scale
again, putting the remaining yellow
stars in his fifth class-rather venerable
lot-the remaining light red ones in the
sixth and the remaining dark red ones
in the seventh. And, though it is not
clear how one is to distinguish a star
that is growing hotter from one that is
growing colder, the new classification
is not altogether unreasonable.
But whatever be thought of Lockyer's
suggestions, all astronomers are now
disposed to think it probable that up
to certain point the contraction Of a
gaseous body is attended with a. rise of
temperature. Perhaps this fact is not
due entirely to gravitation, as Helm
holtz seemed to believe 1t is probable
that chemical action has some share in
the phenomenon. And it is not unlikely
that electricity and other forces are
concerned in the matter But so long
as the body remains in a gaseous con-
d1tion, and has not yet liquefied or
solidified, it is believed that the body
gets hotter as it grows smaller.
precise rate at which temperature rose
with condensation. The law which Dr.
See recently announced is that the in
crease is inversely proportional to- the
radius of the globular mass. If the
contraction is enough to shorten the
radius one-hadf, the temperature will be
doubled; II the radius is reduced to one
fourth, the temperature is quadrupled.
Some of his critics allege that Dr. See
mas not given due credit to German
physicist, Ritter, who published results
OF a. somewhat similar character sew
eral years ago. Fault is found with Dr.
Sees logic and methods of computa-
ton. Doubts have been expressed as
to the feasibility of determining the
rate of Increase with anything like pre-
clsion, and questions of taste have been
raised as to the manner in which the
alleged discovery has been set forth.
No final verdict has yet been reached
on these points. But the subject itself
is profoundly interesting, and the dis
cussion that has been started will
; doubtless prove fruitful in many ways.