Word: nova
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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...
...appearance of this Nova, according to Campbell, has made available much more date, both visually and spectrosopically, than any previous appearance of a Nova. This may lead to an explanation of what takes place in the interior of a star. Most stars are not in such a state of flux, and conceal their interiors with clouds of luminous gases, but Nova Herculis represents a remarkable example of stellar activity...
...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...