The Popular Science Monthly, October, 1900: Vol. 57, May, 1900 to October, 1900Various
History
The Popular Science Monthly, October, 1900: Vol. 57, May, 1900 to October, 1900
Various
Science -- Periodicals; Technology -- Periodicals
The measurement of six photographs of the spectrum, of which four
were taken before the eclipses and two afterward, gives the following
results:
Before eclipses: Velocity _from_ the sun equals 39 km. per second.
After eclipses: Velocity _toward_ the sun equals 47 km. per second.
These results show that the hypothesis in question is a true one, and
afforded the first conclusive evidence of a dark body revolving around
a distant star. A study of the law of diminution and recovery of the
light during the eclipse, combined with the preceding motions, enabled
Vogel to make an approximate estimate of the size of the orbit and of
the two bodies. The star itself is somewhat more than a million of
miles in diameter; the dark companion a little less. The latter is
about the size of our sun. Their distance apart is somewhat more than
three millions of miles; the respective masses are about one-half and
one-fourth that of the sun. These results, though numerically rather
uncertain, are probably near enough to the truth to show us what an
interesting system we here have to deal with. We can say with entire
certainty that the size and mass of the dark body exceed those of any
planet of our system, even Jupiter, several hundred fold.
The period of the star is also subject to variations of a somewhat
singular character. These have been attributed by Chandler to a motion
of the whole system around a third body, itself invisible. This theory
is, however, still to be proved. Quite likely the planet which causes
the eclipse is not the only one which revolves around this star. The
latter may be the center of a system like our solar system, and the
other planets may, by their action, cause changes in the motion of
the body that produces the eclipses. The most singular feature of the
change is that it seems to have taken place quite rapidly, about 1840.
The motion was nearly uniform up to near this date; then it changed,
and again remained nearly uniform until 1890. Since then no available
observations have been published.
It is found that several other stars vary in the same way as Algol;
that is to say, they are invariable in brightness during the greater
part of the time, but fade away for a few days at regular intervals.
This is a kind of variation which it is most difficult to discover,
because it will be overlooked unless the observer happens to notice the
star during the time when an eclipse is in progress, and is thoroughly
aware of its previous brightness. One might observe a star of this
kind very accurately a score of times, without hitting upon a moment
when the partial eclipse was in progress. On the principle that like
effects are due to like causes, we are justified in concluding that in
the cases of all stars of this type, the eclipses are caused by the
revolution of a dark body, now called ‘Algol variables,’ round the
principal star.
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