The Popular Science Monthly, September, 1900: Vol. 57, May, 1900 to October, 1900Various
Science
The Popular Science Monthly, September, 1900: Vol. 57, May, 1900 to October, 1900
Various
Science -- Periodicals; Technology -- Periodicals
It must be admitted that the wide difference between the position of
the apex from large and from small proper motions, as found by Porter,
Boss and Stumpe, require explanation. Since the apparent motions of the
stars are less the greater their distance, these results, if accepted
as real, would lead to the conclusion that the position of the solar
apex derived from stars near to us was much further south than when
derived from more distant stars. This again would indicate that our
sun is one of a cluster or group of stars, having, in the general
average, a different proper motion from the more distant stars. But
this conclusion is not to be accepted as real until the subject has
been more exhaustively investigated. The result may depend on the
selection of the stars; and there is, as yet, no general agreement
among investigators as to the best way of making the determination.
The next question which arises is that of the velocity of the solar
motion. The data for this determination are more meagre and doubtful
than those for the direction of the motion. The most obvious and direct
method is to determine the parallactic motion of the stars of known
parallax. Regarding any star 90° from the apex of the solar motion as
in a state of absolute rest, we have the obvious rule that the quotient
of its parallactic motion during any period, say a century, divided
by its parallax, gives the solar motion during that period, in units
of the earth’s distance from the sun. In fact, by a motion of the sun
through one such unit, the star would have an apparent motion in the
opposite direction equal to its annual parallax. If the star were not
90° from the apex we can easily reduce its observed parallactic motion
by dividing it by the sign of its actual distance from the apex.
Since every star has, presumably, a proper motion of its own, we can
draw no conclusion from the apparent motion of any one star, owing to
the impossibility of distinguishing its actual from its parallactic
motion. We should, therefore, base our conclusion on the mean result
from a great number of stars, whose average position or center of mass
we might assume to be at rest. Here we meet the difficulty that there
are only about 60 stars whose parallaxes can be said to be determined;
and one-half of these are too near the apex, or have too small a
parallax, to permit of any conclusion being drawn from them.
A second method is based on the spectroscopic measures of the motion
of stars in the line of sight, or the line from the earth to the star.
A star at rest in the direction of the solar apex would be apparently
moving toward us with a velocity equal to that of the solar motion.
Assuming the center of mass of all the stars observed to be at rest, we
should get the solar motion from the mean of all.
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