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
Quite similar to these two cases is that of Zeta Herculis. This star,
ordinarily of the seventh magnitude, was found, at Potsdam, in 1894,
to diminish by about one magnitude. Repeated observations elsewhere
indicate a period of very nearly four days. Actually it is now found
to be only ten minutes less than four days. The result was that during
any one season of observation the minima occur at nearly the same hour
every night or day. To an observer situated in such longitude that they
occur during the day, they would, of course, be invisible.
Continued observations then showed a secondary minimum, occurring
about half-way between the principal minima hitherto observed. It
was then found that these secondary minima really occur between one
and two hours earlier than the mid-moment, so that the one interval
would be between forty-six and forty-seven hours and the other between
forty-nine and fifty. The time which it takes the star to lose its
light and regain it again is about ten hours. More recent observations,
however, do not show this inequality, so that there is probably a rapid
motion of the pericenter of the orbit.
It will be seen that this star combines the Algol and Beta Lyræ types.
It is an Algol star in that its light remains constant between the
eclipses. It is of the Beta Lyræ type in the alternate minima being
unequal.
From a careful study, Seliger and Hartwig derived the following
particulars respecting this system:
Diameter of principal star, 15,000,000 kilometers.
Diameter of smaller star, 12,000,000 kilometers.
Mass of the larger star, 172 times sun’s mass.
Mass of the smaller star, 94 times sun’s mass.
Distance of centers, 45,000,000 kilometers.
Time of revolution, 3d. 23h. 49m. 32.7s.
It must be added that the data for these extraordinary numbers are
rather slender and partly hypothetical.
Beta Lyræ is always of the same brightness at the same hour of its
period, and Algol has always the same magnitude at minimum. It is true
that the length of the period varies slowly in the case of these stars.
But this may arise from the action of other invisible bodies revolving
around the visible stars. This general uniformity is in accord with the
theory which attributes the apparent variations to the various aspects
in which we see one and the same system of revolving stars.
Another variable star showing some unique features is Eta Aquilæ. What
gives it special interest is that spectroscopic observations of its
radial motion show it to have a dark body revolving round it in a very
eccentric orbit, and in the same time as the period of variation. It
might therefore be supposed that we have here a star of the Algol or
Beta Lyræ type. But such is not the case. There is nothing in the law
of variation to suggest an eclipsing of the bright star, nor does it
seem that the variations can readily be represented by the varying
aspects of any revolving system.
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