Evening star., 1935-04-25

n UNDERSTANDING CIle H1cClldIlloiil VI
the formation of planetary systems
like that Of the sun. The prevalent
theory is that the matter which later
formed the planets has been elected
from the sun by tidal action due to
a passing star. In such case,
penetary systems would be extremely
rare, since close encounters between
two stars are exceedingly improbable.
But it may we'll be that the mat
ter was elected during a nova out
burst, and that the part which did
not permanently leave the neighbor-
hood of the star gradually settled
down into planets and satellites
which, by the effect of friction in
the gas. would move in about the
same way as the present planets and
satellites do.
If this is true, a nova outburst
is signal that construction work
/ has been started on new abodes for
organic life. The reverberations from
the first blows of the sledge hammers
are felt throughout the universe,
and when they reach our little in
significant planet We see a new star
sparkling in the sky"
X X
The variations In the brightness. DR..
Stromberg finds, are accompanied by
fundamental changes in the spectrum
of the star. Extremely rapid motions
are observed. and the temperature
and atmospheric conditions are sub
ject to great alternations. Often
there may be several minor explo-
Sions after the first large one. and
these are accompanied by changes in
the brightness The spectrum lines
show that the gas is being shot out
ward at velocities which reach a
maximum of about 1000 miles a sec
ond. Often several expanding shells
or jets with different velocities are
observed
In the case of one famous nova
that of Nova Persei In 1901-it was
noted that shortly after the outburst
there was a halo around the star,
which seemed to grow, and later sew
eral expanding rings could be seen.
1t was soon evident that matter could
not be elected at such great speed,
but that it was the light from the
star itself which was reflected from
more remote layers of the atmosphere.
This observation gave a means of de-
termining the distance of the star
ana also showed that it was sur
rounded with gas or dust in consider
able quantities.
There are certain objects in the sky,
Dr.. Stromberg says. whose appearance
and spectra are similar to those OF
| the later stages of nova. and it Is
quite possible that all of them have
gone through nova stage. A pecul-
lar case Is that of the so-called Crab
nebula in the constellation of Taurus.
This is gradually expanding. BY cal
culating the time required to reach its
present dimensions, if the expansion
was at uniform rate, it is found
that the gas must have left the stars
surface about 900 years ago. Recent
Chinese records have been found
showing that Chinese astronomers
saw such a nova in just that part of
the heavens in the year 1854.
y y X
Specimens of strange little creature
that builds itself q living tomb are in
, cluded in the mass of biological ma
terial obtained this Winter by DR..
Waldo L. Schmitt, Smithsonian Insti-
tuition biologist. on an expedition along
the northwestern coast of South Amer
lea and to the Galapagos Islands. DR..
Schnitt was a member of the Capt.
G. Allan Hancock expedition from Los
Angeles.
| The curious tomb-building animal,
of which many specimens were taken,
is the coral gall crab. tiny cruStacean,
which seldom exceeds q quarter OF an
inch in length. When very young
the crab attaches itself to the end OF
coral branch, just as it is starting
to branch again. The presence OF the
crab probably acts as an irritation to
the coral, increasing its rate Of growth.
! At the same time currents are set up