Daily Nashville union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1862, 1862-04-13
Mr.. Clark,s Great Telescope.

cope, sara 10 De tne larBesV III tle WOIlu'
It was constructed in pursuance of con-
tract which has been abandoned in con-
sequence OF the rebellion, ana is now 10
be disposed of to any person or institu-
tion desiring it. How well Mr.. Clark has
succeeded in his great undertaking may
be seen in the extract below, which is
taken from the proceedings of the Boston
Society of Natural History, reported by
DR.. KneeIand, the Recording Secretary,
and relates to this remarkable instru-
ment:
AT the regular meeting of the Council
OF the Boston Society Of Natural His
tory, Feb 5, 1862, Chas. w. Tattle, Esq,
member present, and formerly of the
Cambridge Observatory, at the request of
DR.. jackson, made some statements con-
corning the great refracting telescope re-
Gently constructed by Mr.. Alvan Clark.
Mr. Tutile said ihab il might seem
alittle out of place, in society where a
branch of science so little kindred with
astronomy was almost exclusively culti-
waited, to indulge in any remarks on as
Economical subjects; but as he had been
requested by one Of the Vice-P Presidents
of the Ociety to make known to the
members then present the result of an
! hours inspection of an instrument, in
which ail intelligent persons now felt a
common interest, and towards which
public attention henceiorth would be di-
rected, he would briefly relate what he
had seen along with otht rs
Having been invited some weeks since
by Mr.. Clark, to witness the performance
of his recently constructed great teles-
COPE he availed himself of clear even
ing, and the company of several members
of this society, as well as other distin-
guished gentlemen, to visit Mr.. Clark's
residence at Cambridge, where he had
had the pleasure of viewing a few celes-
tial objects through the largest refract-
ing astronomical telescope in the world,
so far as he knew, certainly the largest
in this country. The evening was one
of unusual serenity The sky was
everywhere free from clouds, and the
atmosphere so tranquil as to allow the
images of stars TO remain nearly steady
and unrufIled in the field of view. Hard
ly anything but the bright radiance OF
the moon, then verging 10 its first quar-
Ter, prevented the night from being a
rare one for refined astronomical Obser-
walton.
The giant object glass, twenty three
feet local length, and eighteen inches in
diameter, was placed in temporary
tube, and by means of ropes and pullevs
laik fg Ia, e
tory tower, was hoisted into mid air
where a limited range Of the starry
heavens was had. This. view embraced
the glorious consultations of Orion and
CAMS Major. Mr.. Clark at once adjusted
the telescope on the celebrated nobuli
in the Word-handle of Orion. With
far less powerful telescope than this
this most wonderful Of all nObulous OBJ
iects presents spectacle surprising al
, description but the view which thi
telescope revealed was gorgeous ant
+ striking far beyond any view ever befor
obtained Of it.
, The most careless observer could no
fail to note at once the exquisite defininl
. and Illuminating power of the instrument
/ Stars of every conceivable telescopi
s magnitude were scattered over the bril-
Y liant mottled nebulous mass, and blaze
. upon the eye with great distinctness an
f splendor The remarkable sextupie- e-stal
s Theta Orionis, disclosed to view its tw
f minutest members, which stood out clea
q and prominent Hersclfel regards th
n distinct perception of both of these fair
stars as the severest test which can b
applied to a telescope. How many Of th
innumerAble stars in the field had bee
!, before noted by astronomers it is impOs
9 sible 10 tell from so general an observation
: but the capacity of the telescope TO col
, lect faint CLEANS Of light must have hei
y resulted IN showing large number
: hitherto unseen small stars,
, The grand nebula was most admirabl
defined, and the numerous luminol
y ridges Of its granular structure SCENE
almost ready to bloom into sWarms
- individual minute stars. and especial
" so in that part where its form assumes
y kind of rude resemblance TO the hea
. and yawning jaws Of a monster. Tin
- did not admit of any inspections of Il
~ wonderful outlines of this great nebul
which are known TO extend over a col
siderable space, and possess very gre
astronomical interest.
= The telescope was then directed to Ill
e bright star Sirius, the most brilliant sti
ye in the whole heavens, and pOpularl
Il known as the "DOg star" All eyes ei
it gerly sossht fog the minute companiC
re Star which Mr. Clark had discovered O
4, the previous Friday evening, on the occi
DR. sion Of his first directing the telescoI
ID to that star. II required but little tin
r for tlnSe accustomed TO look at minu
al telescopic O1ieois, 10 discern 10 80
SO stranger lowering close within the dai
m ding rays of the brilliant Sirius, and a
n | ,...st ..,.,t1,, G,Ilo,tirt, "a a, tiobt nscof