Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1909-11-16
The PARKWAY STAR
Their Color Serves as an Ind
to Their Age.
MAKES THEM TWINKLE

Astronomical Enigma-The lnterveg
ton Of Fragments Of Disrupt
Worlds or the Effect of Air CurrenH
This is Il question that has exercisk
more than Que gentleman Of scien(
OF course it is known that only a
: stars twinkle, the planets giving "a
a steady light That is the way 4
tell a star from a planet with Il
naked eye
But why does the star twinkle at a
! The answer to this seems to be on 81
count of the greater distances of II
stars, the nearest fixed star being SEQ
eral thousand times farther from
than the farthest planet. SO arOuf
this as a starting point have been bu9
two theories. One is that as t5
visual angle. or angle subtended
the star from the eye, is so very sind
that very small bodies in space co
ing between the star and the ek
would give the effect of twinkling.
Now, as regards those small bOdig
actually being in space as hypOthecGs
ed there is no doubt for there are n
lions of fragments of disrupted worl,
flying around in orbits about our SD
The only question is whether there q d
enough to cause the eternal twinklirk
that is observed Science cannot SO
that enough do not exist, for she ca
not perceive the existence of the sma
est fragments that actually could cauE
this effect, even with Der finest instr
ments.
To illustrate, then, my meaning
regards this covering Of the visu
angle, suppose you take a dime /
tween your thumb and finger and no !
it between your eye and the moon I'd
til it just covers the moon 1t will I,
found to be quite close TO the eye. mol
take a quarter and hold it so that
just covers the moon. Its distance
at once seen to be about four times Il
dimes from the eye. Thus 1t is SET
that the farther outward the object
placed the larger the object necessary
This is in accord with what is know.
as the law OF inverse squares.
But now take a dime or even a ps
head. and no matter how far you hol.
it from the eye it will easily cover tls
largest star in the heavens. This I
on account OF the enormous distance d
the star the tines drawn from its sidd
to the eye inclosing an angle so minua
that almost anything WIN 6ll 1t. s.
thus we see taat this theory is not in
possible, though perhaps somewhat I'M
probable
The other theory bases its argume3
on the air currents. Air currents an
caused 10y light apd heated air risinI
and cold and heavy air taking its placd
Now, when light goes from a heayI
to light gas. or vice versa. it is ben
one way or the ether. So this woulI
certainly happen to the light from al
the heavenly bodies;' The reason it
not noticed in the case Of the planet
or the sun is that they send us man.
more rays as compared 10 the stars.
Many reasons are put forward 4
show the truth Of This theory. A stu
wrinkles more CD the horizon than
does in the zenith. for its Light has q
come through a greater thickness O
atmosphere; also greater twinkling i
observed in winter than in summeI
aud when rapid and brilliant twinkhRI
is seen it is a very GOOD prophecy O
rain or snow. as it shows the upper rd
gions OF the air to be in a state o.
rapid motion of varying air currents
hot and cold currents mGBting. con-
minglng and rotating probably.
This also accounts for the changei
in the brightness OF star, for at time
a part and not all of its light is ben
away from the eye. ut has been nd
ticed also that Il stars color has somd
thing to do with it's t%inkling on nd
count Of the different refractivities d
the different coiors "A white or blul
star, such as the Dog star. twinkle
most; next comes the yellow and las
the red. II one cares to look for q red
star, BetelgeuX. is. one and can ID
fouud in one corner of the consteIi3I
tiOu Orion $50. - -
A,rather Interesting thing has beeI
ascertaiutd m astronomy as regard
the relation bctwecu.llg color of sta|
and fits age The Whirc or blue stoyl
are considered young or In the prim|
Of life. with many more million years
TO their career while q red star, al
BetelgouN, is ON the waue and will grad