Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1913-05-31
DARK, DEAD STARS
Millions on Millions Of Them Are
Flying Through Space.
THE PERILS OF A COLLISION.

ger OF tUobc Efrattc OcrotCtb cnouiu
Whirl Itself Into Our Solar System.
The Birth Of a Nebuia.
Possibly II has never occurred to
many people that there are such bodies
as dark stars. but so great an authority
as Sir Robert Ball has said that the
dark stars are to the bright for mum.
bers as the cold horseshoes In existence
are 20 the red hot ones. For every such
hot one there must be many hundreds
OF cold ones. SO that II the smile Is
sound the heavens must contain an In.
credible number OF these derelicts on
the ocean OF space. which. having lived
their life. have grown cold and dend.
but are still racing about Mt star speed
until In their wanderings they meet
some other heavenly body IN terrific
collision.
Such gigantic catastrophe as the
clash Of two suns, each perhaps mil
lions OF miles IN diameter. rushing at
each other Mt the rate OF twenty or
thirty or even more miles per second
would result. 80 the mathematician
tell us. In world splitting explosion
exactly as II each were composed Of
billions OF billions OF tons OF gunpow.
der. and as when gunpowdcr explodes
nothing is left but gas and smoke. SO
In the clash OF stars nothing would be
left OF the two great solid bodies which
had collided but an immense whirling
mass Of incandescent gas called
ncbula. OF which. rs most people know.
there are quite n number dotted over
the heavens. This maelstrom Of gas
would sail about among the stars for
ages. in the course OF which It would
naturally cool down and condense into
n star system much like our own, with
probably central sun. planets and
moon.
Some OF these would sooner or later
arrive at condition OF temperature
suitable for tho support OF life and as
the centuries passed would become
peopled with sentient beings Grad
ually they would grow too cold for life
to exist and finally become frigid. cold.
dark stars once more. The number OF
stars visible 10 the naked eye Is only
few thousands. With tho best tele
scope and other Instruments II Is cal
culated we can detect about hun
dred millions-not large number
there are fifteen times as many peo
pie rs that living on this globe; but,
judging by Sir Robert Balls horse
shoe smile and reckoning only n hun
dred dark ones TO every bright one. we
may take II that there must DO ut least
100000 900 dark stars chasing about
In space. most OF which we have never
seen and probably never will see.
say most OF which. for perhaps II
may come as surprise to some that
the earth we live In Is dark star.
So are all the other planets and plane
tolds OF our solar system. which with
their moons. OF which bodies. shining
only by the reflected light OF the sun
there are at least COO known 10 as
tronomers. Nor must we forget TO
mention those bodies called shooting
stars which may be seen almost any
clear night II patiently watched for.
These. though they look like stars. are
hardly. as every one knows. to bc dig
nifled by the name. being mostly but
very small masses OF matter flying
about In space. They are quite cold
and dark until they enter our atmos-
phere. which they do at such speed
as raises them nj once to white heat
by friction OF their passage through
It. and thus they are revealed TO US.
For every one we see there must be
many thousands whose paths miss US
entirely. ships that pass In the night.
silently and unknown. Some OF these
are OF immense magnitude and are I'm
doubtedly regular In their course
Others are doubtless flying about the
heavens on haphazard paths. and II
It conceivable that one might come
along and collide with us or our sun.
The result OF such collision woulc
undoubtedly be tho end OF this earth
and It's inhabitants.
II the intruder were OF any respecta.
bic size collision with any OF the lar
ger members OF the solar system would
produce such n conflagration as would
raise the temperature Of all the rest
above the point ut which life as we
know II could exist. ''The earth and
all the inhabitants thereof would be
burnt up and the elements would melt
with fervent heat" Even II such a
star did not collide. but merely passed
through our system. the effect Of It's
attraction would altogether upset pres
ent conditions and almost certainly
bring about the cessation OF life on the
earth.
Neither can we encourage ourselves
with the hope that the collision would
be too sudden for Us 10 know much
about II No such thing. Our astrono
mers would sec the star directly II got
near enough for the sun 10 light II up
probably fifteen or twenty years before
II arrived. according TO its size and
speed. They would be able 10 calcu.
late its path and foreteil to few min
utes the precise moment OF the catns