Omaha daily bee., 1913-12-20


opposite m o { ions
appear, one set OF
particles travelling one way and another
set Just the contrary way.
In addition TO this the particles have
individual motions inside each cloud, 80
that. as the clouds penetrate one another,
going in opposite directions, their re-
spectivo particles do not all travel in
perfectly parallel lines. or with equal
velocity There are stragglers among
them. and some whirl around in eddles
hut. as whole. each OF the original
clouds retains It's general direction OF
movement, No account Is taken OF the
resistance OF the air;
Now. 10 make this cloud Of smoke with
It's oppositely moving particles present a
striking image OF the universe. as as
tronomers are beginning 10 see IL, II Is
only necessary, in imagination, to scat
ter It's particles moro widely and 20 make
every one OF them shine like a miniature
star.
For the latest studies Of stellar motions
show that there arc In the heavens two
vast star streams, moving In nearly op-
posite directions and apparently includ-
ing, In one or the other OF their almost
innumerable hosts, all the shining orbs.
great or small. that the eye or the tel
eseope beholds in the immensity OF space
around us.
Our own sun is one OF these flying par
ticles. belonging to ono OF the two great
/ intermlnglinE stellar currents OF which
the visible universe consists The fact
that we ourselves are in swift motion
along with our sun Is ono OF the chief
reasons why tho double set OF star cur
rents was not discovered long ago.
We will not stop 20 inquire what could
have been tho reason for the meeting OF
two clouds OF stars or what was the con-
dition OF those clouds before their en-
counter, for there are other strange facts
to he considered.
| To understand these we must recall
that astronomers havo been able 20 tell
the relative ages OF the stars by anaiyz-
Ing their light. Such analysis shows
what substances they arc composed OF
and In what state those substances exist
In the different stars.
| II is generally considered that stars
containing hellum are the younger or
the most recently formed. AS more and
more OF the chemical elements appear in
a star it's age increases. In human life
we have infancy, youth. young manhood.
full manhood and old age; so in the stars
there are four or five distinguishable
ages. the first OF which. stellar infancy.
10 represented by the condition OF the
helium stars
Now land this seems very strange) Il
has been found that the velocity OF the
Individual stars moving In the two great
streams or currents varies with the age
OF those individuals
The older the star the swifter its mo-
! ton. Here is a decided departure from
the human similltude that we have used
/ for illustration. since among us agility
decreases instead OF increases with age.
The helium stars move very slowly:
those OF the next older class more
swiftly, and so on; and then the mys-
tery deepens. for the helium stars. and
/ their younger brethren. show a decided
preference for one OF the two great star
streams, and the older stars exhibit an
equally strong tendency 10 eonflne them
selves 10 Just the opposite stream
So the two mysterious currents consist,
broadly speaking the one OF young, slow
stars and the other OF old. swift stars
Why do they keep apart? And why.
among the stars. is youth dashed with
gravity and age inspired with nimble-
/ ness?
Although 1t would seem futile 10 try to
answer such questions even II put IN a
scientific form. yet Prof. ]. c. Kapteyn,
one OF the original discoverers of the
streaming OF the stars. has pointed out
facts which may eventually clear up
these mysteries. lie shows that the slug
Rishness Of the helium stars is an indi-
cation that they have been formed di-
rectly out OF something which he calls
"prlmordial matter and which Is prob
ably Identical with the substance OF the
huge nebulous cloud in the constellation
Orion.
This pnmordlal matter seems 20 be
subject TO almost no motion except that
OF the great current in which II lies
AS II condenses into stars, gravltatlon
begins 20 act more and more strongly
upon Il. and thus the stars. as they grow
older and denser. acquire an increasing
motion independent OF the general move
ment
In confirmation OF this. the fact is
pointed out that the Orion Nebula pos
sesses precisely the movement character
istic Of the helium stars. and so may be
regarded as birthplace Of such stars.