The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1901-03-28
SUDDEN BRILLIANCY.
ASTRONOMERS PUZZLED BY THE APP
PEARANCE OF THE NEW STAR.

| Predecessors In HistOry-Natura11y
| Only of the Eleventh Magnitude.
Some Theories of It's Origin.
Something more than 1900 years ago,
according to the New York Post, a
star appeared in the sky which had
never been seen before. To the mighty
brain Of Hipparchus this event sug-
gested the necessity for catalogue Of
all the fixed stars, and he set himself
| to work at that prodigious task. He
made a catalogue of 1850 stars, en-
tirely, of course, from naked eye OBJ
servation, and while engaged on the
work made his great discovery of the
procession of the equinoxes.
There is no record of where this star
was located nor is the location Of the
next temporary star, A. d. 125, to be
| found. In the year $50 a star of the
first magnitude appeared in the con-
stellation Aquila. 1t shone with sur
passing brilliancy, but in three weeks
disappeared and was never seen again.
In the ninth century a new star ap-
peared in Scorpio outshining Antares
and remaining for considerable time.
In 945 and again in 1864 a new star
appeared in Cassiopeia, but it was not
until 1872 that we have the complete
history Of temporary star.
This star had a brilliancy equal to
Venus at her best and was seen even
at monday. 1t shone brilliantly for
several weeks, then began to diminish
and in few months was of the second
magnitude 1t continued to diminish
until it was Of the sixth magnitude
and then disappeared, having remained
in sight more than Is months.
In 1904 new star appeared in Opliu-
chus which was observed by Kepler
and others. 1t exceeded in brightness
any of the fixed stars, even outshining
Jupiter, which CHANGED to be near. 1t
remained in the sky more than a year,
making it's final exit during the winter,
when lost in the rays of the sun.
For another important event Of this
kind we must pass over two and
half centuries, to 1866, when a telescope
star Of the northern crown burst into
second magnitude brilliance. It con-
tinued but few weeks and then faded
away to it's original dimness. Tenn
porary stars not exceeding the fifth
magnitude have since been Observed
Cygnus, Auriga and Andromeda.
For the new star now in our sky,
shining, as it does, with great bril-
lance, we must therefore go back
about 300 years to find precedent,
and not more than two or three strik-
ing instances have been seen in the
whole recorded history of the sky. For
all ages to come the star of 1901 will
have prominent place in all textbooks
of astronomy. Like others before, it
is likely to return to practical invisi-
bility after a short time, and no one
should neglect the opportunity of gaz-
ing on this most wonderful object.
The new star, which was discovered
on the evening Of Feb. %, was before
that date a star of about the eleventh
magnitude and consequently could be
seen only with large telescope. 1t
is in the constellation Perseus and can
easily be found. The constellation is
seen in the northwest soon after sum
set we'll up in the sky. Near by is the
constellation Cassiopeia, which is shap-
ed like an irregular w. These con-
stellations are on the opposite of the
pole indicated by the north starr from
the Big Dipper, or Great Bear, and at
about the same distance. A little search
will enable any person to discover the
three stars that form an irregular row
in Perseus with the new star near by.
What occasions these new stars is a
question easier to ask than to answer.
The old theory that they were travel
ing in elliptical orbits, rushing into our
fanlike comets, is absolutely untenable,
for they spring into brilliancy in sim
gle day, perhaps in moment. From
what is known of the rate of speed
with which the swiftest of the stars
travel 100000 years Of recession would
not strikingly diminish their luster.
The theory of observation by meteoric
swarms may answer in the case Of va
rabies, but can hardly apply to the
case of a star which shines but few
weeks in the course of 1000 years.
We are accordingly forced to the re-
luctant conclusion that the star, either
by collision with another body or by
some other disturbance, is made to
suddenly fame out with an energy
many thousand times it's normal. The
conclusion is reluctant, because if such
be the case all life which might exist
on any attendant planet would be in
stantly and inevitably destroyed in the
mighty food of heat poured upon it.
A star of the eleventh magnitude, IN
der ordinary conditions, is probably
situated at distance so great that
light, travelling 1900 miles second,
requires at least 1000 years to reach
the earth. It is likely therefore that
this distant star endured it's shock dis
Rster 1000 years ago.
Hnvv 0mr Legs Grow.