El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-01-29

Castor can with slight telescope aid
| be resolved into almost equal compO-
! nent stars and each of them has been
shown by means Of the spectroscope
I to have another sun as its companion
I thus what is seen with the naked eye
! TO be a single star is in reality a
system of four suns. II is now known
that systems containing TWO or more
suns are extremely common, leaving
our sun as rather an exceptional case.
Having now considered in 4 rather
{ sketchy way the sizes. distances and
other peculiarities of some of the men,
{ bers of our group OF fixed stars, the
! question Of their origin and destiny
! may be considered.
! Classifying Stars
II our stars are put in the series:
/ Rigel, Castor Regulus. Sirius Procyon,
! Capella, Pollus Aldebaran and Betel-
geuze. they represent from the stand
) point of stellar evolution over half the
: period Of stellar life. According TO one
OF the accepted theories fixed stars
( have been formed by the condensation
/ OF neDulous masses The irregular
: white nebulae. of which the beautiful
( Orion nebula- situated in the middle of
the sword handle OF the warrior, IS
| Prof. Campbell the earliest forms Of
material life known to Us. The young
est stars are also best represented by
those found in Orion with the excep-
the Orion type This type shows very
simple absorption spectrum Of helium
lines tthe very hot YapOr-envelope can
contain only helium in Napor stated.
very similar 10 the absorption lines
found in the solar spectrum in the
NapOr-envelope of our sun. Castor and
Regulus belong 10 the same type. Nis-
uailE they appear as very white stars
The next in age are the hydrogen stars.
because the absorption spectrum of
hydrogen plays the predominant part
They are supposed 10 be less hot and
are typicaily represented in our group
by Sirius. hence the name Syrian type.
Stars Of this type are also white.
Procyon shows the hydrogen spec
trum with less prominence. metallic
lines begin 10 appear. testifying TO a
further lowering of temperature Pro-
cyon IS not quite as white as Sirius
and leans to the next type. OF which
Capella is the best representative, the
solar type: the spectrum of Capella be-
ing almost identical with that OF our
sun Stars of this type are yellow in
color: the hydrogen lines have less
prominence while metallic lines abound.
POllus and Aidebara stand at the end
OF the solar type. a further decrease
ward orange. Betelgeuze finally rep
resents the next type. The vaporous
begins 10 show heavy alb
sOrptiOn bands Of titanium oxide ties
tifying to a still further reduction OF
Stars of this type are
reddish in color: With this star our
list is exhausted
The last stage OF stellar life IS rep
by. the intensely red stars.
most OF which are beyond naked eve
vision. Heavy absorption bands ocCNr
in the spectra of these stars due per-
haps to carbon compounds. Crust for- ,
ma ton seems TO have set IN with these
stars explaining the fact that many /
Of them are irregular variables. show |
inS at periods of maximum brightness
bright hydrogen lines in their spectrs 2
sue TO luminous vapOrs escaping where I!
the crust has been temporarily broken D.
through After this stage they become /
ended
from the starsazer's point OF view.
mercury becomes a morning star IN /
February. i reaches its greatest dis
lance from the sun on FEB L, and I
To- few days before and after that 4
late VIII rise about an hour before
Venus IS still visible as morning
star, but by the last OF the month
will not Else more than half an hour :
before the sun.
Mars is gradually being overtaken BY
the sun. with which IL Will be IN
injunction the last OF TIE month and
: consequently will not be visible.
Jupiter is in fine position for OBJ
7ervatiOn in the evening sky south Of
Aries Il sets about 10 p. m. on Feb. 2S.
Saturn is also finely in view during
february evenings Its motion is
slightly retrogade this month. moving
westward about > degrees. and will he
'ound directly below PolluX and Cas-
or II will be in view all night
Uranus becomes q morning star this
uOnNus DuN Is 100 tttrN 10 AllE sun 10
De well seen.
Neptune is in Cancer and finely
,laced for observation in the evening
sky It is only ii few degrees east o.
Saturn and its motion is still slowly
s eastward.
Planetary Configuration.
Feb = . r. m--Aars and Uranus H. con
junction Mars south IS min.
Feb I. Has p m--Saturu and moon IN
conjunction Saturn north 4s min
Feb :. 500 D. Neptune and moon iu
conjunction Neptune north I degree min
Feb S. p m--Uranus and sun in con
junction
Feb l.. . o. m--Afercury greatest eionga-
ion west % degrees 3 min
Feb. Is. D. Mercury in DESCENDING
lode
Feb. - SAG p u1.-l1arcury and moon in
Feb 20. 9:1s a MENUS and moon IN
conjunction Venus south degrees % min
Feb 90. 10 a. MARS in periheliou-
Feb 20. 5-45 2 m--Jranus and moon IN
or junction. Uranus south degrees IS min
Feb q. $50 p m.-AIars and moon IN
conjunction Mars south degrees 20 min
Feb. - p MENUS and Uranus In
conjunction. Venus south % min.
Feb. -. r. u--Aiercurv tn spheiiou-
Feb. p SOS p ni--Jupiter and moon iu
oniuncticu- Jupiter south degrees 81 min
Feb. Is. j. m--Mars aud sun 90 con-
urcticn-
February Noon Phase
Feb. .. SIS o. Fuf moon.
Feb. i. sos p M Last qusrter-
Feb 4, 1909 a. u. New moon.
FEB. %. e:ff u- First quarter
The moon will he at apnEoc on February
and At reriEee on February 20.