Word: novas
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Dates: during 1930-1939
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...Vesuvius was but as the striking of a match. Columbus discovered America and Washington fought the Revolution in complete ignorance of the cataclysm. Not until the year of grace 1934 did J. P. M. Prentice of Stowmarket, England, first observe the results of the convulsion, known to men as Nova Herculis. Over 10,000 observations of its progress have been made since, according to Leon Campbell instructor in Astronomy at the Observatory...
...progress of this Nova very much resembles that of Nova Aurigi, which appeared in 1891. Observations of the more recent one are much more complete, however. This is explained by the improved organization of amateur observers today. Observations were made at least every hour for the first six months after the Nova's appearance by correlated stations all around the earth, thus assuring darkness at atleast one observatory every hour. In recognition of the work of Prentice, himself an amateur, the American Association of Variable Star Observers conferred upon him a gold medal last June...
Trained scientists, too, have been carefully observing the Nova's fluctuations. In July, Dr. Gerard P. Kuiper, Lecturer in Astronomy, observed at Lick Observatory, California, that the Nova appeared to be taking the form of a double star. The gases around the nucleus take an eliptical form which we see from the side as a straight line, or nearly so. As nebulous matter appears thicker at the ends, these points appear brighter. The nebulous cloud is so bright as to dominate all light from the nucleus itself...
...remotest is thermodynamic equilibrium ("heat-death") of the whole universe. Another which may be only a few billion years off is freezing due to solar exhaustion. One which might happen any day is incineration of Earth by the sun's blowing up as a nova or "new star." Last week in London a less familiar world-finish was suggested before the Royal Institution by Sir James Hopwood Jeans, whose popular appeal derives in large part from his ability to be imaginative and scientifically sound at the same time...
...Pennsylvania Legislature, finally sailed through with 83 votes. Grover Cleveland got in with 77 votes, a comfortable margin over the necessary three-fifths but not enough to take second place from a dark horse, Simon Newcomb who polled 78. That distinguished U. S. mathematical astronomer was born in Nova Scotia in 1835, ran away to the U. S. when he was 18. A pushing lad, he forced himself on the attention of Harvard scientists, soon overshadowed them. The last 30 years of his life were spent building up anew the theory and tables of the planetary system as well...