The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1909-11-18
THE PARKWAY STARS
Their Color Serves as an Index
to Their Age.
WHAT MAKES THEM TWINKLE?
Two Theories That Deal With Thi.
Astronomical Enisma-Ths interven.
ton Of Fragments Of Disrupted
Worlds or the Effect Of Air Currents.

Astronomical Enisma-The interven
ton Of Fragments Of Disrupted
Worlds or the Effect Of Air Currents
This is question that has exercised
more than one gentleman of science
Of course it is known that only the
stars twinkle, the planets giving Out
a steady light. That is the way We
tell a star from u planet with tn.
naked eye.
But why does the star twinkle ut ALI
The answer to this seems to be on &C
count OF the greater distances of the
stars. the nearest fixed star being sew
eral thousand times farther from lis
than the farthcst planet. So around
this as starting point have been built
two theories. One is that as the
visual angle, or angle subtcnlcd 10y
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 as hypothecat-
cd there Is no doubt. for there are mil
lions of fragments of disrupted worlds
flying around in orbits about our sun.
The only question is whether there are
enough to cause the eternal twinklins
that is observed. Science cannot say
that enough do not exist, for she cam
not perceive the existence of the small
est fragments that actually could cause
this effect, even with her finest illStru
mentS.
To Illustrate, then. my meaning as
regards this covering of the visual
angle, suppose you take dime be-
tween your thumb and fuger and hold
1t between your eye and the moon ull-
til 1t just covers the NOM. 1t will he
found to he quite close to the eye Now
take a quarter and hold it so that 1t
Just covers the moon. Its distance is
at once seen to be about four times the
dimes from the eye. Thus it is seen
that the farther outward the object is
placed the larger the object necessary.
This Is i'll accord with what is known
as the law of inverse squares.
But now take Il dime Or even a hin
head, and no matter how far you hold
1t from the eye II 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 inclosing an angle so minute
that almost anything will fill it. So
thus we see that this theory is not i'm
possible, though perhaps somewhat i'm.
probable.
The other theory bases it's argument
on the air currents Air currents are
caused by light and heated air rising
and cold and heavy air taking its place.
Now. when light goes from heavy
to light gas. or vice versa, it is bent
one way or the other. So this would
certainly happen to the light from all
the heavenly bodies. The reason it is
not noticed in the case Of the planets
or the sun is that they send us many
more rays as compared to the stars.
Many reasons are put forward to
show the truth Of this theory. \ star
wrinkles more on the horizon than It
does In the zenith, for its light has to
come through a greater thickness Of
atmosphere; also greater twinkling is
observed III winter than in summer,
and when rapid and brilliant twinkling
Is seen 1t is a very good prophecy Of
rain or snow. as it shows the upper re.
gions OF the air to he in Il state Of
rapid motion Of varying air currents.
hot and cold currents meeting. com
mlngling ana rotating probably.
This also accounts for the changes
IN the brightness Of Il star. for at times
IL part and not all Of its light is bent
away from the eye. 1t has been no.
ticed also that stars color has some.
thing to do with its twinkling on ac-
count Of the different refractivitics of
the different colors. \ white or blue
star. such as the Dog star, twinkles
most; next comes the yellow and last
The red. II one cares to look for q red
star, Betelgeux is one and can be
found in one corner OF the constell,.
ton Orion.
A rather interesting thing has been
ascertaincd in astronomy as regards
the relation between the color Of Il star
and its age. The white or blue stars
arc considered young or In the prime
OF life. with many more million years
to their career, while Il red star, as
Betelgeux, is on the wane and will grad
ually go out in the next few million
years. See If 1t doesn't! The yellow
stars of course come between the blue
and the red in point of age. 1t is en-.
couragMg to find that our own sun Is
classified as white star. 4. /.
Hodges in Cincinnati Commercial Trih
une.
| Na.,.