Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-10-26
STORY OF STAR CLUSTERS
is NARRATED BY sERV|ss
Action OF Formations Similar to
Swarm, of Bees Disappearing
in Forest.
SOME MEMBERS DETACHED
Further Observations May Reveal
Survivors Rcccding From Galactic
Plane-AuthOr Declares Famous
Magellancy Clouds May BE Consid-
cred From This Standpoint.

Imagine a swarm of. bees clustered
close around their queen and moving
swiftly In what seems almost "A com
pact mass over an unobstructed, omen
Held Then let the racing swarm sud.
domly enter thick woods. where no
individual can longer follow straiEh,
line. but all arc driven from tho direct
course, some toward one side. some
toward another
IL is evident that very quickly tho
swarm would be scattered abou;
among tho innumcrablc branches and
leaves. order woui be lost. and rcla-
lively rev would be able to keep near
the person OF the queen. who might
herself lose her way.
Bees Have Accidents.
If am not mistaken. such accidents
OF travel do sometimes happen to mi
grating swarms Of bees.
Now. this image OF the scattering
or swarm OF bees that has plunged
INTO dense forest may serve to vivify
the statement that globular star clus-
tcrs are dissipatcd when they enter
the densciy populated galactic region.
which, according 10 the most recent
The fundamental' plane Of the entire
stellar universe
Resemblance slight.
Or course. there liz but n slight real
resemblance between the two phenOm-
cns- but the case OF tho bees show
what Is not clearly evident In that Of
terins; For tho material obstruction
offered to tho swarm of insects by the
interminElinE branches OF the trees,
substitute an Invisible. immatcrial
mesh OF gravtatonal, or electrical
forces. drawing or driving, the mem
hers OF the star cluster apart when
me galactic system, and you have a
picture OF what Is, perhaps, tho most
wonderful cosmical process tina, has
yet come before the human mind.
The Ealactic segment is relatively
thin. and the Elobular clusters are
normally situated on either side Of IL:
kxIo
into being nobody, ! believe. prctcnds
TO know, but the extra galactic re-
SEions are apparently their original
Arc they bubbles or argosies. that
come drifting in on the mysterious
currents OF thalassic space and break
riches Of power 20 rcjuvenate the stci-
more marvellous than this colossal
spectacle. which is offered to the in
tellectual eye OF spherical organiza-
tons OF stars. from ffty to $50 parsecs
In diameter and composed Of tens OF
,oward the gaiaxy. and when they
touch II losing their organization and
falling apart. or. TO use a better image,
bursting and scattering like shells.
MnEellanic Clouds.
Harlow Shapley says: With such
Ereai Seioeiiiss and masses it seems
stars. Further ,observa,!on may reveal
sulNl'ors EeceoinK from the gh!actc
them tor the effects of the passage"
he also intimates that the famous
MaEellan!c Clouds might be considered
from this viewpoint. The galactic
attitudes OF the large and small Magcl-
!hnic Clouds arc ih!rty-two degrees
and forty-four degrees: their vclocities
OF rccessios according TO observations
by Wilson ~ the u. q. Mills Obser-
vatory, are go kilomcters per second
and $50 klometcrs per second respcc-
lively" II they passed through the
galaci!c plane II happened a great
many millions OF years ago.
Shapley'a Suggestion.
And here IL part Of Mr. Shapley's
suggestion about the probable way in
which the demolition OF clusters in the
Ealactic segment Is effected:
LAS provisional working hypothesis