The music of the spheres : $b A nature lover's astronomyGrondal, Florence Armstrong
Science
The music of the spheres : $b A nature lover's astronomy
Grondal, Florence Armstrong
Astronomy
Not only is Antares of interest because of its great size and charming
color but it also possesses a companion star of the vividest shade of
green. This companion was first noted during an occultation in 1819,
quite amazing its observer by sliding out from behind the moon just
before the large red star emerged and dimmed its light by its powerful
ruddy rays. The green-hued star is very tiny in comparison to Antares
and may only be seen with the aid of a 5- or 6-inch telescope. Under
good atmospheric conditions it is a very beautiful object.
The flame-red sun Antares beside its woodsy-green companion is one of
the most impressive color combinations among the stars. Imagine living
on a planet whose orbits encompassed such ostentatious stars! A green
sunrise with a livid sky and a red sunset with a scarlet one—then a
red sunrise and a green sunset--if colors affect one the way it is
sometimes said that they do, the inhabitants of such a planet might live
through "red hours" and "green hours" like "Dr. Jekylls" and "Mr.
Hydes."
What a surprise to the eye and a delectable bit for the imagination are
the blue, gold, green, rose, lilac, purple and other fires in the
sun-lit sky. Here is something "as rare as a day in June." It would seem
as if the whole solar system were enchanted if we might visit the
planets of a white and sapphire blue sun, for instance, or those of one
of topaz-yellow and heliotrope hue. On the other hand it might seem
beyond the bounds of reason to an inhabitant of a planet with a
dark blue sun that a ray of white light contains the whole seven primary
colors and that these colors are separately and in combination absorbed
by the different objects on such a planet as our earth, permitting us to
observe a wonderful exhibition of tints and colors, gayety, shade and
brightness. If he, in his semi-dark blueness, could possibly visualize
such a marvel as this, he surely would be well-nigh overwhelmed with the
wonder of it. Perhaps our sun was the only star of the millions of stars
in our Universe--(or in the innumerable Universes which drift in space
beyond the island of our Universe)--that was able to produce planets
that could bear life; and yet again, since the spectroscope has proved
that our sun is constituted like many another star in the heavens,
perhaps these other stars, like our sun, also have planets. At least it
is reasonable and rather exhilarating to think about it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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