The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-14
NOVA FAST DISAPPEARING
The Latest Discovered Star Pass
ing Beyond Human Visien.

1
Naval Observatory Astronomer. En-
pect to Lose sight os II soou-
| Stellar .,,r..,,, ~.
|
The new star Nova which ,vas arst Oh
served in the heavens IN F-ehr,,arv >, 1aet
is disappearing rapidlv from v,au, ,rd
will saw the Astronomers az the Naval
Observatory he bavopd tho r,,,s,a ~ ,ha,r
2I-inch telescone In n fa,, da,-s So,,a q,
i'm the constellation Persaus ard Was
when first soon and for .o,-,a ,,sh,
therea fter tho mos, .,-t,-i,,,. 49,. - a.,
class which has Seen observed for three
centuries. Notwithstanding ire nosi,,on 10
near that of the intensely hri,t,ant ,,arg-
able star Persei (AlgoD. When frst dis
covered by Prof Anderson of F.dInhn-yb
Nova was OF about the third magnitude
By the following night 1t had risen 10 the
first magnitude. and was one of the
brightest stars in the evening sky. Such
an object in an especially wen-observed
section of the heavens could not easily es-
cape notice, and it was independently dis
covered by probably a dozen observers in
different countries. At the observatory OF
Harvard a careful record is kept of the
sky from week to week by means of pho
tervais. Some of these photographs are
made with lenses of such short focal
length and wide field that the whole sky
would be covered by about fifty plates.
Harvard received the announcement Of
Nova on February % the latest photo
graphs OF the region ef Pefseus having
been made ON the night of February 10.
One of these plates showed stars as faint
as the eleventh magnitude. but the Nova
ala not appear upon 1t. The Inference Is
ciear, therefore, that on February ~ Ii
was fairtcE ti.... the eleventh magnitude.
On February q its magnitude was in as
tronomioal axrro..,or . H.. ~ E-atr,,
9S'' - o"' W
airy % II hau laileh 10 L. AT present IL IS
with the naked eye, and
has been for several weeks
..vba as,rororical nor,a T., to5a,- 60
-, -,
wen ntted Tor research In the line OF
scientific authority land tbe nrasent oh
a.. a, - ...,,
Jet Is So suitable lor such investigation
t1at We may expect more satisfactory
study of TIL new star than has ever be-
fore haar ob,a;nad 81 an ,;,,,,r o.>,e.
ri, a, VI aA' S'i,.ai ooJee''
mere VIII uououess oe apunuant mate
rails for learning the smallest changes
during a portion of the life history of This
star. h., Co., e. -, 80 ,ho t-.uo.o
-, io sie pSiiou VI .ie iiSieaso
"a "e"e' Aioiii sie iiiSeiiii IL oeehile WIS.,
Ible until II reached its maximum, the OBJ
seryations NAV prove To he few On this
,c,o,r, !, 4. Sor.,,,o.o a.. .,h.,.----.-t.-
- ~ e Psoe' 1P"S
u the spectrum Were obtained on feoru-
iry % and February %. On these dates
he spsctrum was NOT the tvnicaI one
which We have Iaarra, 70 $780,. l., ,,ot
- ~. - - eNpe -. III suea
Uses po. insteau was Oh the Orioh type,
consisting of strong. continuous spec
rum crossed by dark lines. Between
February "a and Eabruarv % bo,ya,,a-
. -
: ,. oiiue.tui t.ais5oI1iiatoa soon place
'l,Ise ne Later uate tne SPECTRUM mas
i "a, oanas "nicn are Characteristic or
ne spsctId oi No'ae-
I!iS ~ - NV star 80 IaE as can De as
e. ~ eaineu aPpedre e, lSt p y During the
,voV yedIs "nich nave eiapseu oniy nihe-
ee -s liIois SUI appeaIances nave osen re-
yoLaeu' Iliahhs arool one ior each CEN
-. ~ ~, 49, ms S,Itl W no means
-ips.t -. ~. - -. " sien seaIs
IS doubtIsss opiv Few ~ 81, nc fr;rs,ns;
- - t oH' &c g te VI tne piisiiees,
49,, VI aiie .Men.y vi Ietpru
III -, -. ~ ~ ~ tiie eSn.uis Just enusu'
~ S,,nG "a ny t rse "a .ieIsot, nxe pc
20. .,.,' IT u 81 ~ pno.oSl ap liS
n - - -;;Ii ,It -. 49,
=, 100, IL .sil .tiS "a, u 80
- ~ - - - = i', o.ie ~, III Lv,eeo
e the No. No. br;aht a,,,,,,t, - -
aso nv The nnaidad y,sinn Ar the 90 $40
= - s:. . - - 500
be r,,,,,har 81 w. .,rs,,.,s,,t, ne ea
eeraa 10 the wboie nunber 81 stsrs FOR
Ss 5;+sa~an, ao,,..J I -, ~
ma ,,a,- 81, ms $50 s, .ssst o
alton during each century
No entiraIy sstjSfacto exnrant,or hos
at bean oiy,eo 81 ,he.a' rs,rt. IL, ~, ~
,ct Eron, 5arL ~ % 49, 49,
.a,,,al,- fain+ hati;.s ,t,s,- s,,d.a,,,,r 49,
q and then SLOWLY fade ava Agv tbee