The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-03-14

4 falr av6eeuo ~ sesl1As ysaeoiki1p. The
.rvusys3- -, !" .Groembridge 1850. ID one
o. the rev which have On obvious mo-
Yen snsc4g 81. ~ .s sSssd % snS tS Ss
whole v11pbte universe seems ,impotent to
affect ia Mysterious course by gravita-
tional attraction. But when we come to
consider sAhe new nebula, these figures
fads tn}e in:lgnincance; In the thought
Lecturer on Astronomy contributed to the
Nineteenth Century for February, he
gives some estimates Of the real speed
with which the nebula surrounding Nova
Persei Cor parts Of IT. seems to be NOV
Ing. II its distance 10 no greater than
that of the nearest star the observed
motion must correspond to speed OF
ESQ miles per second. But 1t IL more
probable hhat the new star Is at least
are driven TO admit q velocity Of frogA
25.ooo To 5000 miles per second-where-
upon. - has been said. some astrono-
mers at hrst refused to credit these Amer
lean observations.
Hare comes In that practical interest
which We have mentioned. We are ac-
customed to think of our post In space
~ one of splendid isolation. An occa-
sionai comet or meteor swarm comes
rushing out Of the void. but we know
waieh Mr. Wells. Renan and others havs
pictured as causing the end Of the world
ID 20 great that, at any ordinary speed.
1t would take the nearest OF them thous-
ar de Of years to come unpleasantly near
us. But here IL q nebula whose compo-
nents may be moving with velocity
which Mr.. Ledger even puts as high a
that Of Hght-1s6. 900 miles per second. II
II happens to point toward the earth we
need not think Of the problems which
will follow the conclusion OF the war.
or take thought for the morrow. For
tunatelyT there is an alienation to this
sphere N the fact that the speed Of the
nebula can only be great In proportion
70 its distance a simple calculation
and distance. 1t would need between three
and four centuries to cross the gulf that
divides II from us. II II were heading in
this direction II Its speed be that of
light. its distance must be more than 800
In our time.
This 10 speculation Of purely abstract
interest, a. there % no reason to suppose
that the motion In the pebuia will per-
present direction. Mr. Ledger. in the ar-
ticies already mentioned. offers a highly
plausible explanation of ii as a purely
optical phenomenon. He points out that
II IL quite possible that the distance Of
the nsbula from the earth Is 50 great
which has been observed must be that Of
lieht-many stars are . great deal farther
on. But It 10 utterly incredible that such
a velocity should 10 that of q material
body. All, the observed facts can be ex-
planned II We suppose that we are really
watching the cutriIsh of Hight from the
new star. Illuminating the nebulous mat
tor In Its vicinity. and 80 making 1t Wis
Idle to us In . fashion which has sue-
Eested . movement In the nsbula itself.
III We supposs the Nova Persei to have
flashed into brilliancy. in the midst Of q
large extent = Of surrounding nebulous
matter, somewhere about 800 years ago.
50 that the first fash reached us In Feb
ruary, 1901, then some months Afterwards
we might see a nebulous region Nike an
approximate circular disk around 1t, IL
Illuminated by the effects Of that same
first fash" In other words, We are
looking at the actual outrueh Of light
in a fashion which must remind readers
of that fine passage In Genesis where
the Spirit moved on the face Of the wa
tiers, and the Creator said, Let there be
light It is a fascinating theory. and
though Mr.. Ledger candidly admits that
there are difficulties In its way, they
are smaller than those of believing that
the new nebula Is really endowed with a
speed a hundredfold greater than any of
which we have hitherto dreamed, or that
it Is far nearer than we Imagine. or that
the whole thing is an optical delusion---
which. as the Irishman said, are the
three alternatives so far offered