The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1909-10-28

giving out steady light. That Is the
wayne tell star from planet with
the naked eye.
| But why does the star twinkle at ALI
The answer to this seems to be on az
count Of the greater distances of the
stars, the nearest fixed star being sew
eral thousand times farther from us
than the farthest panel. So around
this as starting point have been built
two theories. One 10 that as the
visual angle, or angle subtended by
the star from the eye, IS so very small
that very small BODIES in space com
ing between the star and the eye
would give the effect of twinkling.
Now, as regards those small bodies
actually being IN space ss hypothecat
cd there Is no doubt, for there are mil
IONS OF fragments OF disrupted worlds
flying around in orbits about our sun
The only question is whether there are
enough to cause the eternal tw.nkling
that Is observed. Science cannot say
that enough do not exist. for she can
not perceive the existence OF the small
ess fragments that actually could cause
this. effect, even with her finest instru,
ments.
To ilIpstrate. then. my meaning a.
regards this covering OF the visual
angle. suppose you take a dime be-
tween your thumb and finger and hold
II betw en- your eye and the moon un.
Ill II Just covers the moon. II viii be
found to be quite close to the eye. Now
take a quarter and hold 1t SO that II
Just c.yers the moon. its distance Is
az once Zen to be a.out four times
the dme's from the eye. Thus 1t Is
seen that the farther outward the OBJ
ject Is placed the iarger the object
neces AIRY. THIS Is in accord with what
is known as the law OF inverse squares.
But now take dime or even pin
head and no matter how far you hold
|, from the eye It will easily cover the
largest star In the heavens. This Is
on account of the enormous distance of
the star, the lines drawn from its sides
TO the eye inclo ing an angie so minute
that almost anything will fill 1t. So
thus we see that this theory Is not i'm
possible. though perhaps somewhat i'm
probable.
The cher theory basee its argument
on the ar currents. Air currents are
.o...cs k.y ff,ht ard haafaI afr rfufn o.
and cold and heavy a taxing its place.
Now, when light goes from heavy
TO a light gas. or vice versa. II Is bent
one way or the other. So this would
certainly happen 10 the light from all
the heavenly bodies. The reason II s
not noticed In the case OF the Planets
or the sun Is that they send us many
more rays a. compared to the stars.
Many reasons are Put forward 70
show the truth OF this theory. A.star
wrinkles more on tie nor.zon than II
dos IN the zenith. for It's light has 10
come through greater thickness OF
atmosphere: also greater twankllng IS
observed In winter than In summer,
and whom rapid and brilliant twinkling
Z seen Il e very good prophecy Of
rain or snow. as Il ..5ws the upper re
glons Of the ar 10 &c IN state OF
RAPID motion OF varying air currents,
hot and cod currents meeting, corr
mingllng and rotating probably.
This - accounts for the changes
IN the brightn OF s-ar. for al times
a part and not all OF IS light Is bent
away from the eye. II has been no
iieed alro that stars co.or has some
thing 10 do with lis twinklng on ac-
count q the different refrsct.yliles Of
the differ Mt colora < white or blue
star, such as the Dog star, wrinkles
most; next CONS the yellow ard last
the red. II one cares 20 look for red
star. Betelgeux is CT and can be
found In one corner OF the cons,ella-
ton Orion.
a rather interesting thing has been
ascerta ned In astronomy as regards
the r alton between the color OF star
and 'ts age. The white cr blue stars
arr considered young or N the PRIME
81 life. with many more million years
10 theft career. while a red star. as
Betelgeux. Is on the wanc and viii
gradually 20 out In the next few MI
Ion years. See II II doesn't. The vel.
low stars az course come between the
blue and the red in point OF age. II
= encouraging 10 find that our own
sun Is Classified as white star.-A.
l.. Hodges IN Cincinnati Commercial
Tribune.