Evening star., 1935-11-20
STARS RETREAT|NG
OVER ALL CREATION
Mount Wilson Astronomer
Tells Academy Rule Has
Few Exceptions.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY,
Staf Correspondent Of The Star.

S4N4 G4tS4 VI N41tN4AN4Et &NO-
vember 20.-The weird cosmic para
dox Of retreating universes holds
throughout creation.
DR.. M. L. Humanson, astronomer Of
the Mount Wilson Observatory of the
Carnegie Institution of Washington,
today reported to the National Acad-
emy Of Sciences here results Of obser-
vatlons Of 100 extra-galactic nebulae
rushing outward with speeds increas-
ing in strict consistency with their
distance from the observer.
These extra-galactic nebulae are
enormous aggregations of stars lying
across CULTS of thousands of light
years Of empty space from the 30
billion star conglomeration Of the
Milky Way system, Of which the solar
system is a part. For the most part,
as seen from the earth, they are
speeding away into further and
further reaches Of space. The further
away a nebula is the faster 1t moves
outward-the speed increasing ap-
proximately $50 kilometers per sec
ond for each million parsecs-a par
sec being approximately four times
the distance light, travelling at 180, 900
miles second, covers in year.
Speed of Retreat Measured.
This paradox, DR.. Humanson told
the academy, no longer depends upon
isolated observations but holds
throughout the range Of observation
and for all sorts of extra-galactic OBJ
jects. The Mount Wilson astronomers
have measured the speed of retreat
as it is revealed in the shifting of lines
in the spectra of the nebulae-for six
clusters of galaxies, five smaller
groups, and 56 isolated ones. The
speed Of outward motion varied from
few hundred kilometers second for
few nearer and brighter extra.
galactic objects to approximately 49,
600 kilometers second for certain
groups in the consultations of Boetes
and the Big Bear, which are at an
average estimated distance Of 70,000,-
900 parSecs from earth. In one cluster
alone Is new velocity measurements
were made, averaging 1900 kilometers
q second.
In six cases, DR.. Humanson reported,
evidence was found Of slight negative
velocities The extra-galactic aggrega-
tions Of stars are moving toward the
Milky Way system instead Of away
from It, These are the nearest OF all
the nebulae and the contradiction may
be due to errors of observation due TO
stars or groups Of stars intervening
between the spectrascope and the ex-
ternal objects.
Paradox Is Unexplained.
Astronomers are as far as ever from
any commonly accepted explanation
of this strange paradox Of space, it
was pointed out, but all are agreed
that the speed increase relative to dis
tance from the observer is fact which
no longer can be disputed.
A puzzle of the Milky Way system
itself was presented by Drs. P. van de
Kamp and A. N. Vyssotsky Of the Uni
versity Of Virginia, who reported on
the relative proportion Of giants and
dwarfs among certain classes of stars.
They found that while dwarfs, such
as the sun, are much more abundant
In the universe. nevertheless more
than nine -tenths Of all the stars visible
to the naked eye are giants, since they
can be seen for much greater distances.
They also found that the white giants,
the hottest Of all stars, are concentrate
ed around the plane of the Milky Way,
while the yellow and red giants are
fairly dispersed throughout the uni
verse. The significance Of this Is a
puzzle, since none of the dynamic
theories of the Milky Way system Of
fers any explanation Of 1t.
Many "Giant" Suns Surveyed.
They also found that there are
many giant suns" scattered through
the universe. These are stars with
about the same spectrum and at about
the same temperature as the sun. It
formerly was supposed that all were
dwarfs. They found that about half
of those surveyed were giants.
When Gallileo first looked on the
face of the moon through a telescope
more than 400 years ago he said it
looked "like the tail Of q peacock" be-
cause of the numbers of deep craters
with which it was covered. DR.. r. e.
Wright of the geophysical laboratory
Of the Carnegie Institution of Wash.
ington. chairman Of q special commit-
tee which is studying the physical fea-
lures Of the moon, told the National
Academy today that these craters have
q remarkable distribution according to
size. Starting with those about two
miles in diameter. those Of progressive
ly larger size up to maximum dame
ter of about $50 miles show constant
dimunition in numbers.
This. it was pointed out, indicates
that all the moons craters are due
to a single cause, but brings astron-