Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-02

special facilities for doing such work and
having undertaken in This way to cooperate
IN the observations. Some of the Helsing-
fors photographs have been measured at
the Nassar College observatory, and the
interesting fact is reported that sixty-ive
stars were found within one degree of the
pole that is, nearer to the true pole than
the so-called Pole Star itself.
Lick Observatory Photographs.
During the last five years Prof W. w.
Campbell, the recently appointed director
or the LICK Observatory, has been engaged
In photographing the spectra Of a selected
list TO stars with the Mills spectrograph for
the purpose of determining the rates of
movement of these stars Sin the line Of
sight, the ultimate object being to obtain
the data for a new determination of the
apex of the suns way" the point in the
heavens toward which the sun is travelling
with Its family of planets and their satel-
lltes. One most interesting result Of these
observations has been the discovery that
many of these stars vary periodically in
their movements in such way as to show
conclusively that they are not single stars,
but are each physically connected with one
or more other stars. the system thus
formed revolving about its center of grav-
ity, like two balls of dumbbell tossed into
the air. Out of 2S5 stars on the list thirty
one have been discovered at the Lick OBJ
servatory to be systems of this character,
"spectroscopic binaries," and three other
binaries in the same list were discovered
by another observer, making thirty-four
in all. That is to say, of 2S5 observed
stars more than one star in nine Is a
spectroscopc binary. Further, five other
suspected binaries await verfication, and
1t is altogether probable Prof Camp
bell thinks, that many other stars In the
list are binaries awaiting discovery. In
the most of these cases, though not IN all,
the companion star is a dark body, an ex-
tinct sun. The fact that so large a per-
centage of the stars are systems OF TINS
character, for there is no reason 10 sup
pose this list to be exceptional in this re-
spect is certainly an interesting one. 1t
gives rise" as Prof. Campbell observes, ITO
a suspicion, at least, that our solar system
is not of the prevailing type of stellar sys-
tens.
Among the stars which have been shown
bv these observations to belong to systems
of this kind are the pole star and the Drill
liant star Capella. The former appears 10
be associated with at least two other bodies
both of which are dark. The latter mas
been found by Prof. Campbell and lnde-
-pendently by Mr.. Newall. in England, to be
a binary star, consisting OF Two luiiiihouS
bodies Of about the same mass, which re.
yolye about each other in period OF io4
DAYS in an orbit probably of about the size
of the earth'S orbit.
The Planets.
Mercury will be an evening star Qnv1si-
ble) until the It'll of the month, and after
that date morning star.
Venus is still morning star put - no"
too close to the sun to be visible.
Jupiter is morning star, in Sagittarius'
rising in the early part OF the month at
about 3 am. Saturn. also In Saglttarlus'
rises about twenty minutes later than Jul
piter, and Uranus, in the Scorpion, an hour
and a half earlier. Neptune. invisible. OF
course to the naked eye, being OF little
more than the eighth magnitude. Is an even
ing star in Gemini, about midway between
the stars Pollux and Aldebaran.
Mars, in the position In Leo already point
ed out was in opposition to the sun on the
22d of last month. 1t Is, therefore, now at
it's brightest as evening star for this
year, and in it's best position for observing
with a telescope. Mars is now at its great
est distance from the sun, while the earth
is nearly at its least, so that the interval
between us and the planet at this opposl-
ton is about the greatest possible at such
a time-some $4,000, 900 miles, or over 2S,-
600 900 miles greater than when the opposi-
ton occurs in August. 1t Is now summer
In the northern hemisphere Of Mars, the
planets north pole being tilted toward the
sun, and consequently toward us also. The
north polar cap is now quite small. and Is
bordered with a dark area-darkest in It's
immediate Vicinity-which extends as far
south as the Nilosyrtis and Pretonilus OF
Schiaparelli. The planet is now retrogad-
ing rapidly, moving westward toward Reg
illus, which it will pass before the close of
fIa