Evening star., 1951-02-14
New Type of Star Found
By Harvard Astronomer
Outbursts of Energy Show
Resemblance to Sun
By Thomos R. Henry

A new type of star. perhaps quite
numerous in the universe, is described
by DR.. Harlow Shapley. professor Of
astronomy at Harvard, in the current
journal Of the National Academy OF
Science.
This is the "red flare star" Of which
six have been found to date. All are
small, dwarf stars, red in color. Among
the faintest objects 1t is possible to see
in the heavens by their own lumines-
cence. they must be relatively close to
the sun to be observed at all. They are
mainly characterized by enormous out
bursts of energy on their surfaces. These
outbursts are equivalent to the great
flares which shoot millions Of miles from
the surface Of the sun. Because OF the
small size Of the parent stars compared
to the sun. however, they appear much
more significant.
There is accumulating evidence. DR..
Shapley says, that the star Proxima
centauri. which is now generally recog-
nized as the nearest object to the solar
system in space, Is a "red flare" Large
numbers Of observations indicate that
this member of double-star group, Of
which the major member. Alpha CEN
turi, is about the size Of the sun, under
goes very considerable variations in
brightness.
Faintest Yet Observed.
Another of the new type is star L726-8.
by far the faintest star which ever
has been observed. Actually 1t may be
much nearer the solar system than
Proxima centauri, but the actual dis
tance is very difficult to measure. It
consists of two companion objects, both
of which together weigh less than one
ninth as much as the sun. It's average
brightness is less than a 200,o00th that
of the sun.
Yet the evidence indicates, DR.. Shapc
ley explains. that 1t emits flares OF light
almost as great as the greatest shot out
by the sun itself to cause great radio
transmission difficulties on earth.
It has been assumed that the small.
faint red stars were dying stars-ex-
amples Of what the sun might become
in the distant future. when much OF
its substance had been dissolved in
radiation. The new evidence, DR.. Shap-
ley believes shows that these stars are
far from moribund and may compel far
reaching changes in concepts of stellar
evolution.
Mars, only possible abode of living
things in the solar system except for
the earth, may be getting warmer.
During 1850, at least, the red planet
had "a lovely spring and a hot summer"
Such is the conclusion from intensive
nightly might observations just an
nounced by the Swiss astronomer, Glauco
de Mottoni, through L'Astronomie, OFF,
cial organ of the SOciete AStrOnomiQue
de France.
One of the most notable features
seen by observers of the surface OF Mars
is the rapid retreat of the white spots,
supposedly icecaps, around the planets
poles with the advance of summer. Also
there is the change of color along the
so-called Canals" which may indicate
the appearance of rather thick vegeta-
ton.
At the time of the summer solStice,
it was observed, the north polar icecap
was reduced to about so per cent Of
its normal value and at the end OF
summer, 65 days later, it was reduced
to only Is per cent of its ordinary size
at this time.
Color Change Over "Seas."
Meanwhile, the color change, supposed
to indicate vegetation, extended very
widely over the Martian "seas" or de-
pressed areas.
Ordinarily the summer temperatures
on Mars may reach, at times, as much
IS 40 Fahrenheit. Winter is extremely
L.
No explanation is offered of the ex-
traordinary changes observed. The tenn
perature of Mars is determined, prima-
rily, by it's distance from the sun, just as
is the case with the earth. The extreme
ly thin atmosphere Of the neighboring
planet would tend to minimize local cll-
matte variations.
The possibility remains, it is pointed
out, that Mars may have some internal
source of heat which was extraordinarily
active during the past year. Careful
watch will be kept to see if the change
continues.