SCIENCE NOTES

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 5474, 31 December 1904, Page 16

SCIENCE NOTES

DISTANCES OF SOME STAES. According to Dr Elkin’s observations, the nearest bright star in the northern hemisphere of the sky is Procyon, whose distance is very nearly 10 light-years, i Next comes Altair, at a distance of 14 light-years, and then Aldebaran, whose light takes 30 years to reach ns. Vega and Capella follow, both about 40 lightyears from us. As the stars’ distances in- • crease, it becomes more and more difficult i to determine them with any approach to accuracy. Dr Elkin’s parallax puts Pollux at a distance of GO light-years, but 1 the probable error of the determination is i such that it is as likeiy .as not that the true distance may be as small as 40 lightyears, or as great as 100. The distance of Arcmrua comes out 125 light-years, and ' those of Eegulus and Betelgeuse about 140, but these must necessarily be .very rough approximations indeed, as the whole parallax is but 1-40 of a second of arc. Finally, the measures show that Alpha Cygni is actually farther away than the. small stars which wore chosen for comparison. Its actual distance is unknown, but must be very great—probably several hundred light-years. Wo may add that determinations by other observers show that Sirius is nearer than any of the above, its distance being SJ light-years, and that Spioa is very remote—probably 100 light-years; while Bigel seems to be even farther away. The far southern star. Alpha Centauri, is the nearest .of all—a, IN tie over four light-years. ' From photographic measurements it is found that the sun, if removed to a distance of five lighi-years, would appear, as a star of about the standard first magnitude. As all the stars above mentioned, except Alpha Centauri, are beyond this limit, they must all be in reality brighter than the sun. A “light-year” it may be stated, means something like six million million miles, or in figures, 6,U0i),000,000,0u0 miles. , EXTENT OF THE UNIVEESE. J

Professor Newcomb, in *n article in "Harper’s Monthly Magazine" on ‘'The Extent of the Universe,” explains the methods by which astronomer® endeavour to arrive at some estimate of the ffizo of the umverso'of which our Sun is a small star, and our world is a mere Ep« ck. The main point of general interest in the article is to note the statement that astronomers are (on various grounds; drawing to the conclusion that the universe really has limits, that these limits are nearly discernible, and that their extent can be approximately measured. Prof.ssor Newcomb thinks we may be almost certain that the most distant of the stars are not further away from us than about 2jO.OOO,OlH) times our distance from the. Sun. That is about the size of the universe we have been in the habit of thinking cf as limitlees. , But though astronomers may think the starry universe limited (and may bo right) they do not pretend to reach, even in-thought, the limits of space. Space must bo infinite, and beyond the confines of our own universe there may be others as great or greater, uie outermost fringes of which are far beyond the ken of telescope or the photographic lens, and will probably ever so remain. VALUE OF THE HANDS AND FINuEiiS. Surgeons have often to estimate the cha..ces of saving injured hands and the comparative value of hands and fingers. Aoc rdiug to a scale of value furnished by the Miners’ Union and Miners’ Accident Insurance Companies of Germany, the loss of both hands is valued at 100 per cent., or the whole ability to earn a living: Losing the light hand depreciates the value of an individual as a worker 70 or 80 per cent., while the loss of the left hand represents from 60 to 70 per cent, of the earnings of both hands. The thumb is reckoned to be worth from 20 to 30 per cent, of the earnings. The first finger of the right hand is valued at from 14 t3o IS per cent.,, that of the'lelt hand at from Bto 18J per cent. The middle finger is worth from 10 to 16 per cent. The third Huger stands least of all in value, although, like other useless members of the community, it is surrounded by riches; its value is only fro u 7 to 9 per cent. The little finger is worth from 9 to 12 per cent. The difference in the percentages is occasioned by the difference in the trade; the first finger being, for instance, more valuable to a writer than to a digger.—" Health." ’