The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1919-11-21
DISTANCE OF THE STARS.
Now Astronomers Set About the TasA
OF Measuring II.


stars at most, we know nothing OF
the distances OF the individual stars
What is the cause of this state o!
things? 1t is owing 10 the fact thai
We have two eyes that we are Ell
sbled not only to perceive the di.
rection in which external oil. ect
are situated, but to get an idea o.
their distance, to localize them in
space. But this power is rather lin
tied. For distances exceeding som,
hundreds Of yards it utterly fails
The reason is that the distance be
tween the eyes as compared will
the distance to be evaluated be
comes too small. instruments hav,
been devised 10y which the distanc'
between the eyes is, as 1t were, art
fcially increased. With a good in
strument of this. sort distances O
several miles may be evaluated. Foi
still greater distances We may i'm
agine each eye replaced by photo
graphic pl,te. Even this would b.
quite sufficient for one Of the heav.
emily bodies-viz, for the moon.
At one and the same moment let
9 photograph of tho moon and The
surrounding stars be taken both al
the Cape observatory and at thu
Royal observatory at Greenwich
Placing the two photographs siae b,
side in the stereoscope, we shal
clearly see the moon Hanging IL
space" and may evaluste its dis
lance.
Bat for the sun and the nearest
planets. our next neighbors in the
universe after the moon, the din
Guilty recommences.
Tie reason is that any ayailabl'
distance on the earth, taken as ey
distance, is rather small for ~
purpose. However, owing to IL
credible perseverance and skill
several observers and BY substitu
Ing the most refined measuremei
for stereoscopic examination, a.
tronomers haze succeeded in over
coming the difficulty for the sun. !
think We may say that at present
We know its distance to within
thousandth part of its amount
Knowing the suns distance, we get
that Of ell the planets by a well
known relation existing between the
planetary distances.
But now for the fixed stars,
which must be hundreds Of thou.
sands Of times farther removed thar
the sun. There evidently can be M
question of any sufficient eye dis
lance on our earth. Meanwhile on
success with the sun has provide
Us with a new one distance, 24,oe
times greater than any possible ey
distance on the earth. for now tina
we know TIE distance at which thf
earth travels in It's orbit around The
sun we can take the diameter of it,
orbit as orr csc distance Photo
graphs taken az periods six month
apart will represent the stellar
world "a seen from points the dis
lance between which is already best
expressed il the time il would take
light TO trayer4e II The time woule
be about sixteen minutes.
However, even this distance, an
mense as il is. Is. on the whole, in
adequate for claiming a stere
.copic view ~ '.c stars. IL is OF
In quite except 'onal cases that ph
tographs on large scale-that
obtained y tie aid Of big t.
scopes--shov any stereoscopic
feet for rNcl stars. By sccnrC
measurcrr " thc photos We II
perhaps rc, somewhat beyond W.
We can ATTAIN hv simple steiet OF
Inspection: h.. rs we said d,
ment ago. astronomers have no 81
ceedcd in fI, was IN determ lin
the ds;anrc 81 more than d hui
dred stars "a all scientific Amer
sanzs--
kinciske 5torlea
Einglake. the author Of 20
them vas afflicted with govt, and
be had frncv to Try n lady doctor
and wrote - one TO ask il govt waa
beyond her scope. She replied,