The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-06-13

to exist, and finally become frigld, cold
dark, stars once more. The number OF
stars visible to the naked eye is only
few thousands. With the best tel
escopic and other instruments it is
calculated we can detect about g. hun
dred millions-not large number
(there are fifteen times as many peo-
pie as that living on this globe); but
Judging by Sir Robert Balls horse
shoe simile, and reckoning only one
hundred dark ones to every bright
one, we may take it that there must
be at least ten thousand million dark
starts chasing about in space, most
Of which we have never seen and pro-
baby never will see.
1 say most of which, for perhaps it
may come as surprise to some that
the earth we live On is dark star; so
are all the other planets and planet
oids of our solar system, which with
their moons, of which bodies, shining
only by the reflected light of the sun,
there are at least 900 known to astron-
emers Nor must we forget to mention
those bodies called shooting stars
which may be seen almost any clear
night if patiently watched for. These,
though they look like stars, are hardly
as every ones knows, to be dignifed by
that name. being mostly but very
small masses of matter flying about in
space. They are quite cold and dark
until they enter our atmosphere, which
they do at such speed as raises them
at once to a 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 US in the night, silently and
unknown. These too, we must class
as dark stars, though very humble
ones. All these are cold and dead COM
pared with our sun or any Of the
stars we see. From the nearest they
would be quite invisible; and, vice
versa, we cannot see the planets
which revolve around the stars, if
such there be, as is likely enough;
for it is hardly to be supposed that
our sun alone, among hundred mil
lion others, possesses such attendants.
But we have one or two other rea-
sons for thinking that there are dark
stars much larger than any of these.
Here and there are bright ones, which
are found to vary in magnitude at reg
ular intervals. One, Algol in Perseus,
not far from Cassiopeia, varies every
three days from star of the second
magnitude to one of the third, and
gives us only one-third as much light
at its dullest as it does at its bright
est. 1t seems probable that Algol is
really two stars revolving about each
other much as the two ends of dumb
bell would revolve we're it set spin
ming. One of these is supposed to be
dark and cold, or comparatively so,
and the other bright; it is easy to see
how at each revolution the dark one
might come between us and it's bright
er companion, and cut Off part of the
light, thus causing the changes we see.
About thirty of these variables have
been discovered. 1t seems a small
number, but it is plain enough that for
one of such pair to eclipse the other
its path would have to lie exactly be-
tween us and it's partner. Probably
there are many whoe paths do not
fulfill this condition, and therefore
cause no variation of light coming to
US. Others are doubtless flying about
the heavens on haphazard paths, and
it is conceivable that one might come
along and collide with US or our sun.
The result of such collision would
undoubtedly be the end of this earth
and its inhabitants.
If this intruder were of any respect
able size, collision with any of the
larger members of the solor system
would produce such a confagration as
would raise the temperature Of all the
rest above the point at which life as
we know it could exist. ''The earth
and all the inhabitants thereof would
be burnt up, and the elements would
be burnt up, AID the elements would
melt with their fervent heat" Even