Wednesday, April 30, 2008

What are White Dwarf Stars?

White dwarf stars are very densely packed stars that have passed the stage of being Red Giant Stars and are beginning to collapse. As they do so, their core becomes even more dense.


As most have a low brightness, it is difficult to detect them in the sky. In 1844, the German Astronomer Fredrich Bessel discovered the first one, Sirius B. in 1862 popular telescope builder Alvan Clark observed it, though it was not known to be a white dwarf at that time. In 1914 the American Astronomer Walter Adams observed that Sirius B was still hotter than our sun. From its characteristics it was found to be 130,000 times more dense than platinum.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Truth Must not only Inform but inspire

A lamp can never light another lamp unless it continues to burn its own flame. The teacher who has come to the end of his subject, who has no living contact with his knowledge but merely repeats his lessons to his students, can only load their minds, he cannot quicken them,

Truth not only must uniform but inspire. If the inspiration dies out, and the information only accumulates, them truth loses its worth. The greater part of our learning in the schools has been wasted because, for most of our teachers their subjects are like dead specimens of once living things, with which they have learned acquaintance, but no communication of life and love.