Recreations in Astronomy: With Directions for Practical Experiments and Telescopic WorkWarren, Henry White
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Recreations in Astronomy: With Directions for Practical Experiments and Telescopic Work
Warren, Henry White
Astronomy
Besides regular movements to right and left, up and down, to and
from us--changes in the intensity of illumination by changes of
distance--besides variations occurring at regular and ascertainable
intervals, there are stars called _temporary_, shining awhile and
then disappearing; _new_, coming to a definite brightness, and so
remaining; and _lost_, those whose first appearance was not observed,
but which have utterly disappeared.
In November, 1572, a new star blazed out in Cassiopeia. Its place
is shown in Fig. 67, ch g being the stars
d *
g ch
in the seat of the chair, and d being the first one in the back.
This star was visible at noonday, and was brighter than any other
star in the heavens. In January, 1573, it was less bright than
Jupiter; in April it was below the second magnitude, and the last
of May it utterly disappeared. It was as variable in color as in
brilliancy. During its first two months, the period of greatest
brightness, it was dazzling white, then became yellow, and finally
as red as Mars or Aldebaran, and so expired.
A bright star was seen very near to the place of the _Pilgrim_,
as the star of 1572 was called, in A.D. 945 and 1264. A star of
the tenth magnitude is now seen brightening slowly almost exactly
in the same place. It is possible that this is a variable star
of a period of about three hundred and ten years, and will blaze
out again about 1885.
But we have had, within a few years, fine opportunities [Page 224]
to study, with improved instruments, two new stars; On the evening
of May 12th, 1866, a star of the second magnitude was observed in
the Northern Crown, where no star above the fifth magnitude had been
twenty-four hours before. In Argelander's chart a star of the tenth
magnitude occupies the place. May 13th it had declined to the third
magnitude, May 16th to the fourth, May 17th to the fifth, May 19th
to the seventh, May 31st to the ninth, and has since diminished to
the tenth. The spectroscope showed it to be a star in the usual
condition; but through the usual colored spectrum, crossed with
bright lines, shone four bright lines, two of which indicated
glowing hydrogen. Here was plenty of proof that an unusual amount of
this gas had given this sun its sudden flame. As the hydrogen burned
out the star grew dim.
Two theories immediately presented themselves: First, that vast
volumes had been liberated from within the orb by some sudden breaking
up of the doors of its great deeps; or, second, this star had
precipitated upon itself, by attraction, some other sun or planet,
the force of whose impact had been changed into heat.
Though we see the liberated hydrogen of our sun burst up with sudden
flame, it can hardly be supposed that enough could be liberated
at once to increase the light and heat one hundred-fold.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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