The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1918-06-28
(By DR.. c. S. Brainin of the Colum

10y LII y. OIL the COluIl-
bia University Observatory Staff
If those who flee from the heat of
the cities to the mountains, the sea-
shore or the woods would turn their
gaze skyward toward the starry hea-
-Vens, they would certainly be surprised
at the beauty of the constellattons-at
the greater sparkle of the stars ana
the deeper black of the background
due to the freedom from dust in the
atmosphere and to the absence or the
numerous lights of the big towns. Clio
rious as the stars are, it is unfair 10
ask them to compete with the arc
lamps, which are so much nearer. q
OF course it is almost Impossible
for the mind to grasp the huge num-
Der which expresses how many tunes
brighter than an arc-lamp the least Oh
. the stars really is. No one would Tor
( a. moment compare street lamp with
the Sun, vet myriads of stars are lar
greater in actual luminosity than the
orb to which we owe our light anu
life. But, because of the nearness
of the Sun, as compared with even
the nearest of the stars, the Sun gives
us fifteen million times the light given
us by all the stars combined Inc
brightness Of a star as it appears to
the eye is called it's magnitude Inc
stars are doughty classified accord
ing to magnitude, and, as is well
known, the brightest are called first
magnitude, the next brightest second
magnitude, and so on down, the num-
Der of the magnitude growing with
diminishing brightness. In order,
however, to find the true brilliancy OF
a. star, we must have an idea OF rts
distance from us; for the apparent
magnitude depends upon oor~ these.
And the distance of star is an ex-
tremely difficult thing to measure,
and is known for comparatively very
few stars.
- To the east of the zenith is a very
bright star-a first magnitude star
which is next to the brightest star
visible from these northern ATTITUDES.
IT is Vega, in the constellation of the
Tyre, and this star is not less than
forty times as powerful a radiating
source as the sun. Further east is
still another bright star hose distance
is known and whose true brilliancy
can therefore be calculated: Affair,
in the constellation of Aquila, the
Eagle. This star is about twelve
times as brilliant as the Sun. 1t
would, on the other hand, be incor-
rect to give the impression that the
Sun is only a very small star, as stars
go; it is, in all probability greater
Sthan most.
The CoIors of Stars.
The light coming from the stars Is
not, in all cases, of the same color.
The observation of the true color Il
not a very easy matter in itself, for
eyes differ greatly in color percep-
ton. We sometimes read of green
purple or blue stars, while from the
best scientific data it appears that
stars are either bluish-wh:te, white
yellowish or reddish. Vega, mention
ed above, is a blush white star; Spi-
ca is a good example of the pure
white star; Regulus, in Leo, and An
tares, down in the lower southern sky
are of yellowish and reddish hues res
pectively. The stars will all fall within
these classes of colors.
The origin of the statements abou
other colors is laid to the effect O.
contrast between neighboring stars o
different hues, esp 9ci6!ly in the cast
wi ere a close double star is viewed
through the telescope If one hap
pens to be blush and the other red
dish, the tint Of both will appear t.
be greatly exaggerated But the sta
=, culors do not need these eXaggers
tions to be beautiful. Look at We
ga, Arcturus, Antares and all the 9th
ers that are spread before you. eyes
and you will see how instgnifican
even the finest jewels are beside them