The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1899-05-18
THE LATEST NEW STAR.
Discovered by a Woman and KnOwI-
edge of Its Presence Delayed
by Spanish War.

1t appears that the star which has lust
been discovered by Mrs. Fleming, the
curator of the astronomical photo
graphs at the Harvard observatory,
would have been found much earlier if
it had not been for the Spanish war.
The Photographic plates on which Mrs.
Fleming found the star were made in
last March and April at the Harvard
observatory at Arequipa, Peru. These
plates had been long in transit from the
distant observatory, and but for the
war might have been received and eX-
amined and the presence of the new
star discovered some six months ear
lier. Last April, when the plates were
shipped from Peru, there was much
doubt in the public mind as to the
safety of goods coming from South
America, through or from Spanish coun-
tries, and Prof. Pickering, director of the
Harvard observatory, ordered the ship
ment of these plates, sent about that
time from the Peru observatory, to be
made around the Horn. This delayed
their arrival, and consequently the dis
covery of the star, about six months.
Much Importance is attached by
astronomers to the discovery of a new
star. In the seventeenth century IS
new stars were discovered, but from
1870 to 1913 not another new star was
found. From 1860 to 1895, inclusive,
nine new stars have been discovered,
of which number Mrs. Fleming dis
covered four. Her discovery of this
week makes the fifth star she has
found, or one-half of the new stars dis
covered since 1860, or since photog-
raphy and improved telescopes brought
astronomy to its present high plane.
Mrs. Fleming discovered her first star
in 1887 on a Harvard plate which had
come to her for examination. The
next star was discovered in 1891 by a
Scotch clergyman, who thought so lit
tie of his discovery that be notified the
astronomers at Edinburgh of it anony-
mOusly, and was surprised when he
learned they knew nothing of the star.
A close examination of the Harvard
plates by Mrs. Fleming showed that
THIS .tar was present in them, and
Cald doubtless have been discovered
by her had the plate not been imper-
feet. All other stars found since that
date, four in number, including the lat
est one, were first seen by Mrs. Flem-
ing.
Whether this latest discovery will
merge into hebula is a question of the
highest interest to the Harvard astron-
omers, and undoubtedly to others, for
the whole astronomical world knows,
through telegraphc bulletin sent out
yesterday by Prof. Pickering, of the
discovery of Mrs. Fleming.
So complete are the Harvard photo
graphic records of the heavens that
within a few hours after the discovery
of the star in the plate from Peru Mrs.
Fleming was able to state authorita-
lively that the star had never been Wis
ible, in modern times, at least, prior
to 1898, for the plates of ten years be-
fore its discovery do not show it, though
magnitude. The Harvard astronomers
in Cambridge and Arequipa photograph
the entire heavens every year, making
a complete record of them, and some
sections are photographed many times
over. Nothing escapes their powerful
telescopes and Photographic lenses,
and the record of their work is the
most complete in the world.-Boston
FRO Dcnrip+