The Heavens in February. 
By Professor Samuel G. Barton of the University of Pennsylvania. 
I T has been known for some time 
that, by applying interferometer 
methods with the aid of the great 
one hundred-inch reflecting telescope 
recently erected at Mount Wilson, Cali- 
fornia, Professor Michelson hoped to 
be able to determine the diameters of 
stars. This has not been possible be- 
has been obtained. The result itself is 
very astonishing. He finds that the 
diameter is three hundred times that 
of our sun or, in round figures, 300,000,- 
000 miles. This is more than three 
times the distance from the earth to the 
sun. The diameter of the sun is 886,- 
000 miles. The distance of the moon is 
north 
Figure 1. The Constellations at 9 P. M., February 1. (If facing south, hold the map upright. If 
facing east, hold East below. If facing west, hold West below. If facing north, hold the map inverted.) 
fore except in a few special cases. The 
first star for which a result is an- 
nounced is Alpha Orionis, or Betel- 
geuse, the star in Orion marked A in 
Figure i. It is interesting that a result 
238,000 miles. Hence if the earth were 
at the center of the sun the moon could 
revolve about it and only be about 
half way out to the surface of the sun. 
Similarly if the sun w T ere placed at the 
