Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-11-25
Star 100000
Years Away

The record long distance for stellar
objects is held at present by a faint
globular star cluster in Delphinus
which is 100000 light years from the
earth. This cluster is known only by
its catalogue number Of n. G. c. zoos.
When the human race was still In
its infancy the light rays from this
cluster that are now entering our
J telescope started on their long jour-
ney through the universe at the
speed of 1S6, 00O miles a second. While
these rays have been travelling to-
ward the earth the sun with ita
planets has also been journeyinE
onward at the rate of about 1000, 900
miles day and has covered a dis
lance of IA light years. Every
15,750 years the sun covers a dis
lance of one light year, which IL
equal to about trillion miles.
The nearest star, Alpha Centauri,
il four and one-third light years
away, and the brightest star,
Sirius is eight and half light years
from the earth. SO our solar system
mas Travelled q distance greater
than that which separates us from
the nearest stars, while the light
from this cluster has been speed
ing toward toward us.
The method of mea surfing the
distances and diameters of the
elobular star clusters was de-
veloped by DIR. Harlow Shapley,
formerly of the Mount Wilson OBJ
servatory, now director of the
Harvard College observatory. DR.
Shapley has made a detailed study Of
practically all Of the known globular
clusters, about 20 in number. The
results Of his Investigations show
that all of these clusters are at
enormous distances from the earth.
Even the nearest, Omega Centauri is
more than $4,000 light years away
and many of the clusters are nearly
as distant as n. G.. G. 7006.
Measurements Of the distances Of
the globular clusters are obtained
through a determination Of the ap-
parent brightness of giant variable
stars that exist in all Of the clusters.
The absolute magnitude or intrinsic
/ brightness Of the giant red and giant
white variable stars is very accurate
| ~ known. so, when the apparent
| brightness of these stars has been
| found, the distance of the cluster
! they are in is obtained from a very
simple relationship connecting this
| apparent brightness and the abso-
! lute magnitude or intrinsic bright
ness. In fact, now that the method
L l,nr ie.l los l,h np
| entailed in determining the distance
| of a gobular star cluster many
/ thousand light years away than In
| finding the distance of the nearest
| stars by the trigonometric method of
direct measurement, and the results
are proportionately more accurate. II
! has been estimated that the errors
! in the values given for til. distances
! Of the globular clusters do not ex-
cccd one fifth of the measured dis
T, tances.
| All Of the globular clusters consist
Of thousands of suns, many Of which
are several hundred times more bril-
| liant than our own sun. Indeed a
etar no brighter than the sun would
! be entirely invisible IL located in one
of these clusters. The diameters of
some Of the globular clusters are so
great that light would take several
! hundred years to cross them
In the most powerful telescope y.
G.. c. 7006 appears visually as a.
| nebulous star but seven minute
exposure on fast photosra phic
plate has shown about 200 stars in.
| this cluster that are well within the
! limit of visibility Of tn create
| tnIcacoucS -Eansas CITY Star