Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-27
observers STUDY
| STELLAR GALAX|ES
Savant Tells Academy Group
SupercIusters of Stars
Dwarf Universe.
CONTINUED From First Page.)

Continued From First Page9
Of the solar neighborhood or stars only
few light years from the sun, whose
distance can be determined by trigo-
nometrical methods. They are included
in the system of lucid stars" of which
the sun is member. Then comes the
local SYSTEM sort Of celestial vii
lage within the great city Of visible
heavens. This is from 1000 to 5000
light years across.
All three of these systems are in
cluded in the major system of the
Milky Way galaxy, including many
millions Of stars, Of which the sun is
one of the smaller units. Then comes a
are Magellanic clouds, visible in the
Southern Hemisphere, approximately
80. 900 light years away. This Is the
closest of the neighbor universes. Much
Is being learned about it, Prof. Shapley
said, by the study Of the Cephid vari-
ableS which 1t contains, stars which
vary in brightness periodically and
which enable astronomers to determine
distances. The Harvard astronomers
are taking q census Of the giant stars
in this neighbor galaxy, ranging from
80 to $50 times the brightness of the
sun. They have put $50 new variables
on the map, Prof. Shapley said, and
are seeking for others.
BY intensive study Of this nearest
outside universe they have found some
curious groupings Of the stars within
the galaxy, with great numbers grouped
about an axis, thick clusters in other
parts and a great deal OF open terri
tory, where, so far as instruments snow,
there are few stars.
400 Galaxies Found.
Including such organized billions of
stars as the Magellanic clouds and the
Milky Way" system are the super
galaxies, apparently organized groups
Of galaxies themselves. Some contain
only q few star systems, while others
presumably contain great numbers. DR.:
Shapley and his aides have concentrated
on the Coma Virgo region Of the heaV-
ems, where to date 2,700 galaxies have
been found, all in the same neighoor-
hood and seeming to form an enormous
heavenly stream Of luminous bodies:
Approximately so Of what are beneVeo
to be such supEf-galaxies have been
found.
The next step, DR.. Shapley said, prob
ably will be to determine the existence
of a metagalaxy or supergalaxy OF
SupergalaxieS, so vast that it bafiieS the
imagination, for which already consld-
cradle evidence exists.
This census of the skies Is being car
ried on, he explained, partly In order
to obtain q clear idea Of the distribu-
ton Of matter throughout the vast ex-
tent Of space. The boundaries OF space
occupied by heavenly bodies apparently
still are far beyond the reach of mans
largest telescopes, Or. Shapley said.
The greatest distance reached with the
largest telescopes Is only about 100000
600 light years.
win Study Northern Skies.
The more distant galaxies, DR.. Shap-
ley said, do not seem to be uniformly
distributed In space and this may be Of
great significance in relation to mathe-
NAUTICAL theories concerning the uni
verse. Uniformity of matter, 1t was ex-
planned, has been assumed by Albert
Einstein and other mathematicians to
simplify working out their calculations
on the extent and mechanism OF the
universe.
Most of the survey to date has been
carried on in the Southern Hemisphere.
AS soon as the southern skies have been
covered, it is probable that the tele-
scope will be moved north from South
Africa and the same survey undertaken
for the Northern Hemisphere.
Discovery Of 5000 more double stars
In the Southern sky by the University
Of Michigan astronomers working in the
observatory financed by Secretary OF
Commerce Lamont at Bloemfontein,
South Africa, was described by DR..
Heber D. Curtis.
Describes Solar Spectrum.
Prof. Henry Norris Russell Of Prince
ton University told the National Acad-
envy that chemical ompounds-espe-
cially hydrogen, oxygen and carbon
compcundS-have been proved by spec
trum photographs to exist In the at
mosphere Of the sun. This was long
considered impossible, since tempera-
lures in the suns atmosphere run as
high as $4,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and
deeper In the body Of the star they run
possibly into the millions. It formerly
was taught that at such temperatures
chemical compounds were impossible.
and that everything would be split up
into atoms of distinct elements.
Examination Of the suns light with
the Spectograph which splits up white
daylight into its innumerable gradationS
Of color, DR.. Russell said, has shown
some of the elements to be united into
molecules OF substances similar to those
to be found on earth. Yet they are not
quite the same, for the enormous bonn
bardment Of energy which keeps beat
Ing upon JLlGLu 6l1 IAlC bAllC CACdNo OLA
entirely different environment for them.
They are partly-broken molecules. Thus
one atom Of oxygen Will hold to one OF
hydrogen, instead Of to two hydrogens,
as In water. Or one carbon atom will
hold to one hydrogen atom, instead OF
four, as in the marsh gas Of swamps.
Prof. Russell said that "a compounds
have been identified in the suns atInos-
phere. Seven are hydrogen compounds
and four are oxygen. Six have been
found above the brightest parts OF the
sun and eight above the sun spots,
where the temperature is lower.
Urges Broadcast BY Phone.
Mai. Gen. George o. Squier, former
chief of the Signal Corps, urged that
the vast network of telephone wires
be used to carry radio programs. Now.
he said, they are idle much of the time
and represent q considerable waste in
investment. BY using this network. he
said, it would be possible to broadcast
quality programs without loading the
ether and without making 1t necessary
| for listeners to hear constant inter-
| ruptions Of advertising matter. The
system, he said, would not interfere with
! the use of the telephone and would do
away with static and fading"
| Among the papers on the opening pro-
gram was one by G. G. Darwin, grandson
/ of Charles Darwin, on Examples of the
| Uncertainty Principle" Oliver r. Wulf
| of the fixed nitrogen laboratory of the
| Department of Agriculture, told of
| measurements to determine the amount
Of ozone in the upper atmosphere.
IMArPn cIIDNEnM