Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1899-08-16
FINDING NEW STARS.
The Latest One Was Discovered by
aWoman.
It's Presence Would Have Been Known
SIX Months Sooner Had 1t Not
Been for the War with
Spain.

Itappears that the star which has just
been discovered by Mrs. Fleming, the
curator of the astronomical photo
graphs at the Harvard observatory.
would have been found much carrier II
il 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-
am;ned ard 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
afety OF goods coming from South
america, through or from Spanish coun-
RIGS, ard Prof Pickering, director OF the
Harvard observatory, ordered the ship
nent Of these plates, sent abou. that
tinc from the Peru observatory, to be
-ladc around the Horn. This delayed
their arrival, and consequently the dis
corery eff the star. about six months.
Much Importance is attached by
astronomers to the discovery of new
| STAR Ia the seventeenth century Is
new stars we're discovered, but from
| 1870 to 1915 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
" elk makes the fifth star she has
| found, or one-holf of the new stars dis
covered since 1860, or since photog-
raphy and improved telescopes brought
astronomy to it's present high plane.
Mrs. Fleming discovered her first star
in 1887 on Harvard plate which had
come to her for examination. The
next star was discovered in 1891 by a
Scotch clergyman, who thought SO lit
tic of his discovery that he notified the
astronomers at Edinburgh of it anony-
mously, and was surprised when he
learned they knew nothing of the star.
n close examination of the Harvard
,lates by Mrs. Fleming showed that
his star was present in them, and
| would doubtless have been discovered
" her had the plate not been inper-
ect. All other stars found since that
late, four in number, including the lat
,st one, were first seen by Mrs. Flem-
,ng.
Whether this latest discovery will
merge into nsbula is question of the
highest interest to the Harvard astron-
oulers, and undoubtedly to others, for
The w.lolc astronomical world knows,
through .. tel5graphic bulletin sent out
yesterday by Prof. Pickering, of the
! discovery of Mrs. Fleming. -
So complete are tie Harvard photo
graphic records of the heavens that
| within few hours after the discovery
Of the star in the plate from rcru Mrs.
| Fleming was able to state authorita-
lively that the star had never been VS.
ible, in modern times, at least, prior
to 1878, for tho plates of ten years be-
fore its discovery do not show it, though
they show stars as faint as the fifteenth
magnitude. The Harvard astronomers
n Cambridge md Arequipa photograph
he entire heavens every year, making
complete record of them, and some
sections are photographed many times
oycr. Nothing escapes their powerful
telescopes and Photographic lenses,
and the record of their work is the
most complete In the world.-Boston