Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-04-05
Yami-M al.
RUSSELL s. WESTON,

and even yet a perfectly satisfactory
explanation has not been furnished,
though there are several more or less
srecious and ingenious speculations as
to the causes of their sudden appear
ancc and disappearance.
OF the sixteen NoVae so far observed
the first was that of the year 1872, often
called, after its discoVerer. Tycho'S
star. 1t was the most brilliant of all.
1T was first noticed on Nov. I, l5'2, by
LJndaens of Winterthur, in Germany,
but first observed by TyChO Brahe, the
famous Danish astronomer, four days
later as first magnitude star. When
at its maximum brightness it outshone
Jupiter and attained to the brilliance
of Venus when at her best. Within a
week or two it began to fail, but con-
trucd visible to the naked eye for fully
sixteen months before it finally disap
pC2red. The star of 1904 in Ophiuchus
has history not unlike that of TychO's
star. 1t grew as bright as Jupiter. Two
years later it disappeared from view,
having been visible throughout the
whole year of 1906.
The star T. Coronae of 1866. attained
the greatest briliancy of any new star
since the one in 1901, having been of the
second magnitude. Readers remember
the star Of 1901 the last Of the NOvae 50
far observed. On the night of Feb. Pip
DIR. Anderson of Edinburgh noticed d
previously unknown star of between the
second and third magnitude in the con
stellation Perseus. In the course of the
next two days it increased 50 rapidly as
to become about the third brightest star
in the sky, being a little brighter than
Capella. Then it began slowly to fade
away. Early in March it again OF
the third magnitude, and before the mid
die of April had dwindled to the fifth
magnitude. Nova PerSei its present per
manent name, is the brightest new star
since kepler's star of 1901 1t was form
erly believed that stars of this class
were new creations, which went out OF
existence after a span of life which
would have been brief even for Il human
being. much less for a star. But. as 81
mon Newcomb remarks, it is hardly nee
essary to say that such a view as this
can find no place in modern history. Sir
Isaac Newton suggested as a cause of
this strange phenomenon of temporary
stars the so-called collision theory, which
certainly deserves attention. 1t is almost
impossible to reject altogether a tremen-
dOuS catastrophe as the cause of these
singular phenomena. a recent writer
says: THE Novae are not pilgrim stars
just arrived, SO to speak, from some adj
jacent universe. but genuine blaze stars
orbs kindled into brief magnificence by
catastrophes of fierce violence, but tran
STORY effect
On the Sth of April a partial eclipse of
the sun will take place, which. however.
is not within this latitude. The month is
favored with another eclipse. total one
of the moon, which, like the former. will
not be visible here. The beginning of this
eclipse will be visible throughout Asia
and the eastern portion of Europe and
Africa, the ending visible throughout
Asia, Europe and Africa.
Some of the popular names of constella
tons aid very much in recognizing them
in the sky. 1t really requires vivid i'm
agination to see a bear in both UrSae or
dog IN either CAMS. and thus it is in
regard to constellation that about nine
o'clock on April evenings will be in our
meridian. Everybody at once recognizes
in the configuration of its stars sickle,
though its scientific name is Leo, or the
Lion. Sir John Herschel makes. with ref
erence to the ancient names of the con-
stellations, the following remark: the
consultations seem to have been almost
purpOSely named and delineated to cause
as much confusion and Inconvenience as
possible. lnnumerabe snakes twina
through long and contorted areas of the
heavens where no memory can follow
them. Bears. lions and fishes, small and
large, northern and southern, confuse al!
nomenclature. A better system of con-
stellations might have been material
help as an artificial memory True; but
will the habits of four thousand years be
easily changed?
Leo is a fine constellation and situated
almost exactly in the ecliptic. The end
of the handle of the sickle is marked by
Alpha Leonis, or Regulus, sometimes al
so called Cor LeoniS. which is reckoned
by most uranographers as first-mag-
nitude star About % east of it is the
bright SecOnd-magnitude star Beta Le-
oniS, or Denebola, which comes to the
meridian one hour and forty minutes aft
er ReSulus. Below Reguus is a bright
red star of the second Magnitude, called
Cor Hydrae. the heart of Hydra, also Al
phard the principal star in the conStella-
ton Hydra with its riders, Crater, or
the Cup. and Corvus, or the Raven. 1t
is a very large constellation, extending
over vast space in the heavens. Graz
ter is little constellation, and Corvus,
lying just east of it, a still smaller. but
more conspicuous one. since it contains
two second-magnitudc and four third and
ourth-magnitudc stars. The Twins, cas-
tor and PolluX, Procyon and Sirius are
bending toward the west Capella and the
constellation Orion rapidly approaching
the horizon. soon 10 disappear from the
nocturnal heavens they have for months
adorned by their Incompatible beauty.
The splendid star Arcturus is climbing up
in the east, and down in the east we see
the beautiful summer constellation Scor-
pic rising above the horizon. heralding IN
the coming season of Summer.-Baitimore
Sun