TWIN SUNS.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 July 1922, Page 3

TWIN SUNS.

AN ASTRONOMER’S EXPLANATION. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Sydney, July 26. In connection with Dr. Plaskett’s cabled discovery of twin suns Dr. R. K. Young. astronomer in the observatory of which Dr. Plaskett is director, who is now in Sydney, says that Dr. Plaskett and his staff for a number of years have been making a special study of what are known as the earlier suns, namely those whose life history preceded that of our sun. The observatory has been able not only to determine a ; great many orbits of these heavenly ■twins, but to ascertain data in regard Ito revolution, distance the stars are apart, shape of orbit and the angle at which it is inclined earthward. Dr. Plaskett’s latest discovery is of deep interest. Comparing the new stars with our sun Dr. Young stated that our sun is about an average star in mass, but far below the average star in brightness. It belongs to the class of stars called dwarfs, not dwarfs in mass, but dwarfs in brightness. It is on the downward scale of life and is burning out. It has already reached its peak in brightness and will probably grow fainter and fainter. He added the reassuring information , that it would last many millions of I years, even if it had reached the zenith ;of its refulgence. There were distant ' suns which would outshine our sun ten I thousand to one if placed the same distance from the earth as the sun is.