ETHER AND GRAVITATIONAL MATTER. 



225 



Motions of stars in the line of sight determined at Potsdam Observatory, 1889-1891 

 [Communicated by Professor Becker, University observatory, Glasgow.] 



Star. 



Anrtromedae . . 



( lassiopeiae 



Cassiopeise 



Cassiopeise 



Andrornedse . . 

 Ursae Minoris . 

 Andromedse . . 



Arietis 



Persei 



Persei 



Tauri '. 



Auriga? 



Ononis 



( Irionis 



Tauri 



Orionis 



( irionis 



< irionis 



Orionis 



Aurigae 



Geminorum . . 

 Canis Majoris. 

 Geminorum . . 

 Canis Minoris. 

 Geminorum .. 

 Leonis 



Magni- 

 tude. 



■J. (i 

 2. 1 

 var. 



2. 3 

 2. 

 i 4 

 2. 



var. 

 2, 

 T. 

 1. 

 ]. 

 2. 



2.3 



1. 



2.3 



1. 



1.3 



1.3 



Velocity 



relative to 



the suu. 



Kilometer. 

 + 4.5 

 + 5.2 

 -15.2 



- 3.5 

 + 11.2 



25. ;i 

 -12.9 

 -14.7 



- 1.5 

 -10.3 

 +48.5 

 + 24.5 

 + 16.4 

 + 9.2 

 + 8. 

 + .9 

 +26. 5 

 +14.8 

 + 17.2 

 -28.1 

 -16.6 

 -15.6 

 -29. 7 



- 9.2 

 + 1.1 



- 9.1 



i Leonis 



I Ursae Majoris. 

 l Ursae Majoris. 



i Leonis 



I Leonis 



' Ursae Majoris. 



Ursae Majoris . 



i Virginia 



! Ursae Majoris. 

 I Ursa? Majoris. 

 i Bootis 



Bootis 



i Ursae Minoris 



i Librae 



i Coronae 



i Serpentis 



i Herculis 



l Ophiuehi 



i Lyra? 



i Aquilae 



' Cygni 



i Cygni 



Pegasi 



t Pegasi 



i Pegasi 



Magni- 

 tude. 



2.0 

 2.3 

 2. 

 2.3 

 2. 

 •I 3 

 2. 

 1. 

 2.1 

 2. 

 1. 

 2. 

 2, 

 2! 

 2. 

 2.3 

 2.3 

 2. 

 1. 



1.3 

 2. 1 

 1.6 

 2.3 

 var. 



Velocity 



relative to 



the sun. 



Kilometer. 

 -38.5 

 -29. 3 

 -11.9 

 -14.4 

 -12.2 

 —26.6 

 -30.3 



- 14.: S 

 —31.2 

 -26.2 



- 7.7 

 —16.3 

 + 14.2 



- 9.6 

 +32. 

 + 22.3 



- 35.3 

 + 19.2 

 -15.3 

 -36.9 



- 6.4 



- 8. 

 + 8. 

 + 6.7 

 + L3 



The velocity of the sun relatively to stars in general according 

 to Kempf and Risteen is probably about 19 kms. per second. In 

 respect to greatest proper motions and velocities, Sir Norman Lockycr 

 gives me the following information: 



"The star with the greatest known proper motion (across the line 

 of sight) is 213 Cordoba = 8".7 per annum. Velocity in kilometers 

 not known. 



"1830 Groombridge has a proper motion of 7".0 per annum and a 

 parallax of 0".089, from which it results that the velocity across the 

 line of sight is 370 kms. per second. Various estimates of the parallax, 

 however, have been made, and this velocity is somewhat uncertain. 

 The star with the greatest known velocity in the line of sight is C 

 Herculis, which travels at 70 kms. per second. 



"The dark line component of Nova Persei was approaching the earth 

 with a velocity of over 1,100 kms. per second." 



This last-mentioned and greatest velocity is probably that of a torrent 

 of gas due to comparatively small particles of melted and evaporating 

 fragments shot out laterally from two great solid or liquid masses collid- 

 ing with one another, which may be many times greater than the velocity 

 of either before collision; just as we see in the trajectories of small frag- 

 ments shot out nearly horizontally when a condemned mass of cast iron 

 is broken up by a heavy mass of iron falling upon it from a height of 

 perhaps 20 feet in engineering works. 



Sec. 16. Newcomb has given a most interesting speculation regard- 

 SM 1901 15 



