SUN’S DISTANCE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17153, 1 October 1926, Page 12

SUN’S DISTANCE

CONGRESS OF ASTRONOMERS. COPENHAGEN, August 21. Another attempt will he made by the world’s foremost astronomers in 1931 to measure more accurately tho earth’s distance from the sun, according to plans to be submitted to the International Astronomic Congress, which opens tomorrow. Although the present estimate of tho earth’s mean distance from the sun is placed at 92,897,400 miles, -which is considered sufficiently accurate for all practical uses," it is believed that tho position of the planet Eros in 1931, in its relative position to the sun and the earth, wilt afford an opportunity to make tho estimate more exact than it is at present. > The present estimate was made from similar observations in 1900 through an international co-operative effort. Astronomers in all parts of the world at that time made individual estimates, and these wore compiled by the eminent. English astronomer, 11 inks, and the figure reached by him* has been used to tho present. Jt is believed that this estimate is correct to one part in 2000 but is probable that the 1931 observations will bring the correction to one part in 5000. The congress has been arranged by the. Astronomisehe Gesellsehaft, an organisation of private astronomers with members in all countries. During the week the delegates to the congress will make a trip to the island of ITveen on the 350th anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone of the Tycho Brahe Observatory at Uranienhorg. Tho congress will discuss various phenomena of the heavens which have been observed in recent years. It is expected that the subject of variable stars, and principally the star Omicron in the constellation of Oetus, which has puzzled’ astronomers for the last 300 years, will ho tho principal feature of discussion. This star has a diameter of 270,000.COO miles, or 3000 times the diameter of our own sun. During recent observations it became for more than four months 600 times its original brightness and more than 100 times the brightness of cur sun, and then slowly faded to its original state, repeating the cycle every eleven months. Further efforts will he made to devise more accurate means of determining the internal temperatures and structures of stars, which at. the present time are mathematical computations. .Most of the members of the coil gross are siid to agree in great part with the Einstejp theory and, except for a few points, the theory will not be discussed at length Nearlv 100 delegates representing practically every nation have gathered for the congress.