The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-11-11
POETRY AND SCIENCE.
Professor ProctOr's Introductory Lee
ture on Astronomy.
WONDERS OF THE STARRY VAULT
Suns, Planets, Comets, Meteors
and Nebule.

IIoAcseoE hiCuarQ a. frOctOr, the aStrOQOmors De-
gan last night. at chickerng Hail. course Of lee
lures on the beautiful science which he has made
the study of his life and in the list of devo
tees his name stands among the most houcree. The
subject with which the Professor introduces
the series is .'The Poetry of Astronomy,
leaving to the subsequent discourses more
particular illustrations of the machinery OF the
heavens The audience was very large. filing all
the available seating capacity of the hail. AS the
grand mysteries OF astronomy were unfoded by
master hand and In such simple language that all
could understand. the people became very enthu-
siastc and frequently expressed their pleasure by
applause. Three other lectures are advertised for
the course. On Thursday. the 18th inst. Tho
immensely Of Space" will be the theme; on
Monday, the 18th, 1.-THE vastness of Time" and
on Thursday. the goth. "Other Worlds and Other
Suns" From the success of Mr.. Proctor's former
lecturing tour in this country and from the large
attendance last night there is doubt that many
will avail themselves of the pleasure Of listening to
the instructions of the course, and that it will be
nights lecture on 1.-THE Poetry of Astronomy, ON
the Beauty and Glory of the Heavens was
as the Professor describes it, "a study of the chiof
discoveries OF astronomy. with special reference to
their poeticai Significance showing that the poetry
Of SCIENCE and especially of astronomy. is not in
HANGING its value as means OF mental and moral
culture" The lecture profusely illustrated. as
Will DC all tho others OF the COURSE
LAST NIGHTS LECTURE.
Mr.. Proctor prefaced his remarks by saying that
two objections had been made against the connec-
ness Of science would be injured the other that it
would take away the charm from nature But there
taught by science TRANSCRIBED any poetic
Zee , and impressed IMAM ,,:I more with
most poetic aspect and red the most exact
scientific scrutiny. Each eWuiscovery in science.
NH at,,i,, 1oRk
deeper ones behind. More and more it became clear
that man. pursue his researches he might, would
never approach the holy Of hs.cs-
the lecturer began to illustrate his remarks with
stereopiconviews thrown on large screen stretched
across the stage. The first represented halo round
the sun with four false moons as seen in northern
lattudes These appearances. Mr.. Proctor
planned were due to the presence in the air Of null
titudes of tiny stars of ice. In the foreground
Of the picture were represented icebergs.
an: .ad this drought to h mind Mr. PGetGs
game so near being fatal to so many near and dear
friends of those in the accident to the
Of science to try and diminish dangers such
those Your great inventor, Edison, he said. Sin
sasimeter for measuring infntesimal differences
of heat. One OF these instruments placed
made to 70 the Of Dc
sure. and it might be arranged that the index of
The tasimeter could move in such way to break
Or make an electric current by Of which bells
could be rung in the Captains room. in the wheel
house the deck, and at the same time an cleo
trc light driven by the very machinery which pro-
,n the pathway of the vessel that every officer in
AL parts of the steamer could toward what dan
gers they were approaching.
The aurora borealis next illustrated. and the
Professor explained that it was found to have
Intimate connection with the sun spots thuL'show
Ing another bond OF sympathy connecting the vari-
and photographs OF sun spots were next exhibited
showing the great progress made in solar photo
yraphy. The visible sum-, said the Professor.
compared with its actual volume sank into
insignifcance. The analysis of the suns light was
next touched upon. and it was shown how the sun.
Instead Of being quescent was seething like mighty
engine supplying heat and light. The dark centres
OF these sun spots had been found to emit
violet light. and there was nothing to prove
whether in reality they emitted this light
not, the appearance might
be due to atmospheric causes. He had seen in an
American journal an alleged observation by himself
In which he stated finding q triangular hole
through the middle of the planet Mercury. He had
discovered triangular bright spot, but thought it
might be due to some optical delusion and by no
means wished to be understood that there q
triangular hole through Mercury or any other Of the
heavenly bodies. (Laughter)
The process of photographing the suns disk
next displayed with copious illustrations. The
Face of the sun was found to be composed OF num-
Der OF bright granules on dark background. The
average brightness OF the three times as
great the strongest electric light these spots
were in brilliancy forty or fifty times as great as tho
electric arc. The analysis of light and the solar
spectrum was naturally the next subject. The
black lines of the spectrum were shown to CORE
Bpond with bright lines produced in The spectrum of
the flames of ncandescent elements. IN this way the
presence of hydrogen, iron, calcium and other ee-
ments in the sun had been discovered. The bright
part of the spectrum was found to be due to the
presence of oxygen. The suns protuberances in Pc
RODS OF total eclipse, were next shown the
They were little red flakes which appeared to
round the dense centre of the eclipsed sun.
BY ingenious device of looking at the
sun through colored glasses, tending to
remove all other colors but those of the protuber
lnces, they were made visible and could be observed
In daylight. The eclDSes of 1861. 1860
moro remote date next shown. They revealed
along the line of the zodiac luminous train pre-
seding ana Following the sun. To this were due the
light beams which could be observed sometimes
ner the setting of the The Professor inclined
10 the opinion that the elements might actually be
Ill compounds of one simple basis. At least such
theories had been preached to account for spectre.
scopic differences.
Tho planet Saturn, with its rings, was next-dis-
played. The inner transparent ring the only
Transparent body known to astronomy, and through
1t could be distinctly the body of the planet.
Mars, with its snowy poles. was next shown, and
The Professor spoke in high terms of praise of the
discovery of its two moons. which had for many
Ages escaped the keen eyes of astronomers. Their
periods had been calculated to the tenth part of
second. Jupiter's satellites considered the
smallest bodies yet discovered they being about six
or seven miles in diameter. and certainly not more
Various comets, with all their strange forms, were
next shown and then tho phenomena OF Ineteors and
falling stars were explained. The theory oil nebulm
was described. and their formation and nature de-
tailed ut length. Several maps or the stars also
thrown on the screen. Bright spots occurred where
myriads of suns were rushing together. Then u
map OF the stars, showing their niotion1 and
velocity were next exhibited One Of his star maps.
the Professor said, needed to be darkened to take
better photograph, and in going over the map with
pen and ink dottng eacn star. tho Professor had
spent seventy hours. Such stars only repre-
Bented could BIO by Nm ordinary telescope of
two and u half inches diameter.
The lights were then turned up and Professor
Proctor concluded his lecture with some general
marks on the SCIENCE In order to see the coors OF
the SUM- he said It required darkness 1t was only IN
the blackness OF night that the glory the heavens
could betsecn One had but to extend his survey by
telcscopic means to see millions of suns. This
brought to mind the poetic thought of Blanquo.
who. speaking of the my stery OF the night said:-
Why do We then; shnn death witb useless frights
lflife may thus deceive, why may not light?