The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-27
THE NEW STAR WANING.
Comments On Its Fading BriIIiancy
mt the NayaI Obseryatory

DIR. Anderson's new star discovered on
J. February q at Edinburg and which at
tanned such remarkable brilliancy is rap
IDLY fading, and in the opinion of the as
tronomers at the Naval Observatory it
viii become invisible within ten days or
two weeks.
Although discovered simultaneously at
various places throughout the world. it
was not noticed at the Naval Observa-
tory until brought to the attention of the
experts there through the discovery by
Mr.. Farquhar. of the Patent Office. who
located IL with the naked eye at or about
the time of its discovery by DIR. Ander-
son.
The star famed into light suddenly, and
died out as suddenly as 1t had appeared.
According to Prof. S. G. Brown, of the
Observatory, its life will be a short one,
though he admitted last night that the
new star may continue to be visible for
a year or more.
In 1866 a new star appeared, not so
bright, however. as this one which re-
manned visible for nine days, said Prof.
Brown. Other stars of this class, sen
in 1872 and 1904, reached a magnitude
Eany times brighter than this one While
they lasted. 1t will probably be found
on the Photographic plates taken during
last year The work of photographing
the heavens has been portioned out
among the various observatories. and
that part in which is located Nova Per-
sci. as the new star will probably be
called, will be thoroughly studied. II the
star attained brilliancy of the thir-
teenth or fourteenth magnitude, photo
graphs will no doubt have been taken
of it.
wrfxgi
late as the 18th of February. photographs
of that region in which it is situated
showing that there were no stars above
the magnitude Of los. On Friday night
added Prof. Brown, the star was nearly
as bright as capella. which is of the
first. or highest, dogree of magnitude.
on Saturday night 1t was equal in bril-
lianty. but on Sunday night 1t dimin-
ished growing gradually fainter by Mon
day. BY tomorrow night 1t will be
fainter than the stars adjacent in Per-
seus.''
At the Observatory the brightness and
position of the new star have been care
fully estimated and measured. In color
the star as seen here was decidedly white
on Friday night. being particularly no
uceable for its marked brilliancy By
Monday it was observed that the color
had changed so that it had fallen below
the brilliancy of Capella in the color
scale. A tinge of robustness was also
observed. This change in color indicates
it's decadence.
Prof. BEswn laughed at the idea that
the recently discovered star is the Star
OF bethlehem of biblical times 1t is sim
ply fixed star. thousands of millions of
miles away. which has in passing through
a cloud Of meteoric matter set its surface
into violent ircandescence.
At the Lick Observatory In California
the first opportunity for securing obser-
vations of the new star occurred Sunday
forenoon. The star was easily found in
full sunlight with a Finch telescope. At
Il a. m. it was fully half magnitude
brighter than the first magnitude star
Capella with which it was compared. At
p. m it was fully half Magnitude
fainter than Carella. a decline of whsle
magnitude since noon. It's brightness
continued to decrease throughout the
evening.