Astronomer Gives Newest Star a 50-50 Chance Of Breaking All Endurance Records for Novas

In the soft light of the Cambridge observatory recently, Leon Campbell, Pickering Memorial Astronomer, revealed that the new star, Nova Herculis, as an even chance to break the endurance record, now held by the Nova of 1891.

"Since its discovery last December," said Mr. Campbell, "the star has acted in an unusual way for a Nova. It has sustained an exceptional brilliance for a long period. The only Nova I know that can be compared with it is the Nova of 1891, which lasted for six months. Herculis has an even chance to break that record.

Perhaps there is more known about his Nova than any other that has appeared since it has been observed from the point on the earth's surface every day since its discovery. On the morning of December 13, the star was reasserted from England. On the evening of December 14, the report was contained by the Harvard Observatory. Examination of former plates dating back to 1840 proved the previous existence of the star although at that time it was very faint, being of less than the fourteenth magnitude.

"In nine days, the Nova had risen to peak brilliance. At that time its magnitude was one and a half, a half million times brighter than was normal. This rise is a much slower one than takes place in the usual Nova. It began its normal decline, but stopped falling and held a fairly steady level of about two and a half magnitudes."

When asked the cause of this unusual action, Mr. Campbell said, "Beyond the fact that there is something in the star that is maintaining a high temperature and high brilliance, nothing can be determined. As with any Nova, some internal catastrophe occurred. An explosion and great expansion of the star was the result. Novas are not infrequent. One comes almost every year, but those visible to the marked eye are rarer, perhaps one in ten years. The only Nova I know that can be compared with Herculis is the Nova of 1891, which lasted for about six months.

"The magnitude graphs shows a certain periodicity in the oscillation of the star's brilliance, which is probably associated with the throwing off of repeated envelopes of gas. There was a sharp drop in brilliance at the end of January, but the star has, since recovered."