The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-10-11
BRIGHT OCTOBER
STAR, ARCTuRUs
This 10 one Of the First to Appear
With Any BriIIiancy In the
Western Skies at
Twilight.
cLAssED AS SOLAR STAR
It Is Supposed to be in More Advanced
Stage Of Development Than
Is Our Own
CL.AssED AS SOLAR STAR

One who keeps in touch with the
wonders of the evening sky and who
has not forgotten his Virgil, writes
of the great star Arcturus, as fol-
lows:
In the early twilight, due west and
about half way from the horizon to
the zenith, may be seen bright. vel
iowish star. No other stars are Wis
ible so early in the evening in this
part of the heaven. This is Arcturus.
1t is the lucida of the constellation
of Bootes, the bear driver 1t lies
little to the west Of line drawn
through the last two stars in the
handle of the dipper, or, if you pre-
fer, in the tail of the bear. In the
NEUROLOGICAL representation of this
constellation Bootes is pictures as a
hunter holding in the leash the two
hunting hounds, which are chasing
the great bear round the pole of the
heavens. Arcturus is the star in the
knee Of the hunter.
Above Arcturus and rather more
than one-third of the distance to the
zenith lies the constellation of the
northern crown, characterized by q
semicircle of stars. 1t is easily Wis
ible when the twilight has passed.
distance is not known with certainty,
ranging from $50 light years for the
earlier measures down to AZ light
years for the more recent ones. 1t is
changing its apparent position in the
sky rapidly for fixed star. 1t has
moved since tho time of Job, say, a
distance in the sky equal to more
than three times the diameter of the
moon. The velocity in miles across
the line of sight due to this motion
depends on the distance of the star.
Values have been found ranging from
375 miles a second down to 95 miles.
At this latter velocity it would COM
plete the circuit of earth twice in
less time than a fast express takes
between two stations ten miles apart.
Arcturus is classed as q solar star,
but 1t Is in a more advanced stage
Of development than the sun. Clouds
are slowly condensing in it's atmos-
phere and more and more shutting
out its light. Eventually it will be
enshrouded in total darkness. Yet it
is massive that it may outstay us In
the race and continue to shine in the
heavens long after our sun has pulled
down the curtains and turned out the
light.
power of this star is estimated to be
approximately 1000. 1t may be rea-
sonably assumed, though there is no.
great certainty in this, that the diam
eter of Arcturus is at least twenty
five times, and its volume more than
$4,000 times that of the sun.
In all ages the imagination of the
race has loved to play round this
star. In early times it was thought
the nearest star to the earth and the
one with the greatest influence on
human affairs. In the book of Job,
according to authorized English YER
sion, with the sweet influence of thp
Pleiades is associated Arcturus and
his sons. In al cient Chaldea he was
known as the Guardian Messenger"
and 1.-THE Shepherd of the Heavenly
Flock" And Virgil referring to
Bootes mentions Arcturus:
Below his girdle, near his knees he
bears
The bright Arcturus, fairest of the
stars.
Among recent poets Whitman pays
homage in this wise:
Star of resplendent front, thy glori-
GUS eye
Shines on me stil1 from out yon
clouded sky,
Shines on me through the horrors of
night
More dear than ever fell DER day, so
bright.
Shines till the envious serpent sinks
away
And naIos and trembles at the stead
fast ray.