TO KNOW THE STARRY HEAVENS 



337 



A Double Asteroid. 



There has been recently announced 

 the discovery of a new asteroid which 

 has another asteroid or "moonlet" re- 

 volving about it. If this is true, it is 

 the only one of the over eight hundred 

 asteroids, or "planetoids," known 

 which has a companion. These little 

 bodies move about the sun, nearly all 

 of them between the orbits of Mars 

 and of Jupiter ; they vary in size from 

 four hundred and eighty-eight miles in 

 diameter to but two miles in diameter, 

 which is the estimated size of the 

 smallest one so far found. It is rather 

 surprising that even the smaller ones 

 seem to be approximately spherical in 

 shape : they are veritable little worlds, 

 though they doubtless have but little 

 or no atmosphere or water upon them 

 because they are too small for their 

 gravitational pull to retain gases upon 

 their surface. Our nearest neighbor 

 of all among the heavenly bodies (with 

 the single exception of the moon) is a 

 small asteroid called Eros, about 

 twenty miles in diameter; it was at one 

 time thought to be perhaps a double 

 asteroid, because its light was found 

 to periodically vary when brightest. It 

 is more than three times as bright as 

 when faintest, only two and one-half 

 hours later. The interval between the 

 times of the greatest brightness was 

 found to be about five hours. This 

 could be explained by supposing that 

 Eros is a double asteroid and that the 

 two little worlds, almost in contact, 

 eclipse one another at a constant inter- 

 val. It is now quite certain, however, 

 that there is but one asteroid there and 

 that the little world is nearly round but 

 that one side of it is a much better re- 

 flector of sunlight than the other., The 

 variation of its light is caused by its 

 rotation upon its axis. So that the 

 new discovery seems to be unique 

 among the bodies of the solar system. 



The Call of Spring. 



The call of Spring has resounded, 

 And all things obey its behest; 



We are going out into the open, 

 Intent on a new beauty-quest. 



Each tiniest bud by the roadside, 



Just bursting its warm winter sheath, 



Reveals to whoever will tarry. 



The wonders that lay just beneath. 



Such crinklings and creasings and flutings, 



Such intricate folding away 

 Of the leaves, that will now in a twinkling, 



Be a-wave in the bright April day! 



Such silky and delicate tissues, 

 Such glowing, delectable tints! 



Of which the brown buds through the Win- 

 ter, 

 Have given no vaguest of hints. 



This marvelous Vernal awakening 

 Should draw us out under the skies; 



And then, when the wonder is over, 

 Let us stay out, — if we would be wise! 



— Emma Peirce. 



"The wisdom of God receives small 

 honour from those that stare about and 

 with gross rusticity admire His works : 

 those highly magnify Him, whoso judi- 

 cious inquiry into His acts, and delibe- 

 rate research into His creations, return 

 the duty of a devout and learned [i.e. 

 intelligent] admiration."— Religio Med- 

 ici A. D. 1686. 



The Diffusion of Knowledge in War 

 Time. 



Incidentally there is a good testi- 

 monial as to the value of activelv con- 

 tinuing such work as that of The Agas- 

 siz Association for the diffusion of 

 knowledge, in the fact that the people 

 of Canada have now, after three years 

 of war, more lyceums and chautauquas 

 than they ever had before the war. 

 They found it absolutely necessary to 

 strengthen the lines of popular educa- 

 tion. 



The American skunk proves to be so 

 valuable a friend to the farmer and con- 

 tributor to our fur supply that already 

 more than a dozen states have passed 

 laws to protect the animal. 



Data from the great meteor which 

 fell over Texas on the evening of Oc- 

 tober 1 show that the mysterious body 

 passed at a low angle from northeast 

 to southwest, and ended its course not 

 far from the main bend of the Rio 

 Grande. Over an area one hundred 

 and fifty miles in diameter sounds like 

 thunder were heard from three to five 

 minutes after the light disappeared, 

 and strong enough in some places to 

 rattle windows and dishes. The light 

 was seen from all points within six 

 hundred miles. Several observers de- 

 scribe it as lightning-like and blinding. 



