Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-05-24
Esw Starr Fly of Iiks Sparks from . Flint
When Dead suns Collide in Outer Space

4 thousands Of timer larger end more mas
siys than the earth, end the effects OF
their attraction upon seeh other are pro-
portionately great. Even u thsy should
not actually meet they would 81 each
other aflre through the enormous force
OF their attraction. Then. " they came
very close. without striking they would
swell out. like stretched blA1ders. and
immense rnasses would be flung off from
them.
II thsy inst head ON thsy would swat.
low one anothsr up I'm cloud Of flaming
gas and vapor. or be turned into . ST.
santic whirlinE nebuia. This would result
from the sudden Transformation OF the
energy Of molten. or ths mechanical en-
ergy involved In their swift flight through
space. into the energy Of heat which
would suffice TO vnporise them almost
| In an Instant
But. probably In most casa. these I'M
mense bodies do not meet head on. A
grazing collision Is far more likely 70
occur and what than happens 10 shown
In the second picture. A portion Of each
Of the NESTING masses has been scraped
or torn off at TIM point OF impact az
the iceberg tore out part OF the bottom
Of the ritani6. and the flauing substance
thus thrown into space between the two
coliiding masses becomes an Independent
body. sblass with heat and whirlinE
swiftly upon its own axis. until. In the
course Of time. II turns into star. This
new-crested star may b carried off In
the wake Of one or the other Of the or
iginal bodies. and may. IS II cools. con-
iinue 10 reyolve around u as planet re-
wolves around our sun.
Or. in certain circumstances. Illustrated
by the third picture, the flying bodies
which were in partial collision may pass
on. leaving the smaller star. which their
Impact has brought into existence behind
them. Not only one. but large number
Of small stars might thus b created by
the Grazing collls,on Of tEo immense dark
bodies The latter would 90 their way.
alternately Frightening ana fading to our
eyes as, In rotating on their axis. they
turned first their dark sides toward
US and then the sides that had bssn set
afiame by the coiHnon- Az long a. the
heat produced b. the collision continued
to produce q glow upon them they would
appear as variable stars.
The reader may ask: ''Is not ell this
purely fancifui!" No. IL Is not fanci-
full. for many new stars have suddenly
made their appearance in the heavens
where nothing was visible before. and
not only does their appearance CORE
spcnd with the theory that they have
been caused By the violent collision Of
great dark masses, but some Of them
have actually been seen 10 turn into
nebulae Ghsf 10. clouds Of glowing gas),
and all the phenomena which they pre-
sent accord win the hypothesis thar they
are ras result OF the sudden transfor-
nation OF the motion Of flying masse Into
hest--heat so intense that at least part
OF the meeting masses has been yapor-
lied.
More thar that b. the aid Of the
spectroscops-an Instrument which en-
abies astronomers 70 dsteet the sub
stances Of which the stars are composed
and also to measure the velocity with
which they are moving-ths speed OF the
coiHdins bodies IN sucn cares has been
measured. and the presence Of two. and
somstimes three or more bodies has ben
demonstrated OccasiSnaiIy the spectre
scope sae~s that COS Of shsss bodies 10