"Nova first magnitude in Aquila, first seen June 8th, 10
hr.
45 G.M.T., approximate position 18 hr. 45 m. R.A., 00 45 dec. Slightly brighter than Desch. Pure white "—such is the official description of the new star which is " intriguing " astronomers and agitating certain journalists, even in the war crisis. Astronomers must settle among themselves many questions more important than whether Oxford did or did not beat Greenwich by half-an-hour in making the first observation. None of them is likely to grade the new star higher than the evening paper which on Monday described the appearance of Nova in Aquila, "regarded scientifically," as "the most tremendous fact in all human experience." The word " tremendous " is well chosen, if Nova Aquilae is really "a missile flung at our system from the depths of Outer Space," to "obliterate in a few hours man and all his handiwork." Should this happen, then the end of the world will be swift and painless ; but we incline to the view that sufficient time will le permitted for the astronomers to examine fully the most interesting of Cellar bodies that has swum into their ken within living memory. It may be that the light has just reached us of some stellar collision that happened two or three coaturiei ago.
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