The New York herald., 1879-10-29
20 ~ ~ ~ -.
RICHARD A. PROCTOR.


BY THE EMINENT ENGLISH ASTRONOMER =
IMPORTANCE OF PROFESSOR HENRY DRAPER's
DISCOVERY OF OXYGEN IN THE SUN.
Professor Richard A. Proctor. the celebrated Eng
lish astronomer, whose arrival was announced in
yesterdays HERALD. visited during the day by
many distinguished scientific people at the West
minister Hotel. In the course of an interview Pro
fessor Proctor gave HERALD reporter his views on
the most important recent discoveries in astron.
omy well as an outline OF his proposed lecturing
tour through the country. The Professor was tired
after his voyage and also mentally suffering from
the recent loss Of his wife. whose death he still
mourns. He said he regarded this trip to America
principally diversion and recreation. When
asked to his detailed plans he said that his first
lectures in this city would be delivered on Novein
ber 10. Is. II and 20.
His first lecture, ON Monday November 10. will be
entitled the 'Poetry of Astronomy or the Beauty and
Glory Of the Heavens" and is intended study Of
the chief discoveries Of astronomy, with special ref
to their poetical Significance. showing that
the poetry of science and especially Of astronomy,
not inconsistent with exact research. while
hancing it's value o means Of mental and moral
culture. On Thursday evening. November 13. he
will lecture the "Immensity of Space as Revealed
by Astronomy" The discourse will be at
tempt to indicate the grandeur Of the do
main over which astronomical research has
already extended. and especially to elucidate the
relations between worlds and world systems, suns
and systems of galaxies and systems of galax-
les. thus passing step by step to the limit OF the
known, while showing that beyond the immensely
thus revealed there lies what to conceptions at
least must be regarded as infinite space. On Mon
day. November II. he said he would lecture on the
sVastness of Time" revealed by astronomy,
making an attempt to display the immensity OF time.
past and future, indicated by astronomical research
and especially to show how the duration OF world
is but as a unit measuring the duration of world
systems that these last but as second compared with
systems of suns. these in turn as compared with
systems of sun systems. and so passing from the
aons Of nons thus revealed to the eternity amid
which they lost. ON Thursday evening. Novem-
Der co. the subject he said would be "Other Worlds
and Other Suns.
THE ELABORATE PROGRAMME.
Professor Proctor said he intended remain about
four weeks in New York. delivering during this time
lectures in the neighboring cities and Phladelphia.
and then starting for the New England States. to
which also four weeks would be devoted. Thence he
intended visit Montreal aud oer cities i'll Canada,
and. returning to the States lecture in Chicago ST.
Louis, Cincinnati and other Western cities. Then.
crossing the continent. he will appear in Sacramento
and San Francisco. From San Francisco he said he
would sail for Australia, and after lecturing in Aus
tralia Van Diemans Land and New Zealand ho
would return to San Francisco. He did not expect
to be back among his friends in New York until the
"May ask what have been the most important
astronomical discoveries since you last ectured in
New York;" asked the reporter.
II regard as the most important of ALL, the Pro-
fessor promptly replied Professor Henry Drapers
investigation Of the presence of oxygen in the sun.
indicated by the bright bands III tho solar spec
trum. think DR.. Gladstone and Professor Stokes,
two OF our highest authorities in England. agree
with that this discovery is substantial victory OF
science or course, the fact is most interesting
in itself, that oxygen. important terrestrial ee-
ment should be present III the sun; and DIR. Dra-
rlara mi mr. e.
ments such as carbon. boron and silicon. Hitherto
spectroscopical analysis had only disclosed in the
constitution of the sun metals and hydrogen, which
latter has come to be regarded us metal in gzse-
form. while the present discovery indicates the
presence Of non-metallic elements well AS
greater similarity between the constitution of the
sun and earth than had been heretofore demon
straaed sna exrD, aafng my ,oG,are1 pr
ira obtained by hinl-tor 1t Is from photographs OF
spectra and not from ordinary visual observation.
that Dr. Draper derives his evidence of the presence
OF oxygen in the sum-"
pHoroGRApHING SOLAR ''RICE GRAINS"
"What other discoveries will you probably dis
cuss?"
"Another important astronomical achievement is
the improved photographing Of solar details by
full photographs obtained by HIM in 1852 showed
the details of solar spots the dark central portion
Ting OF the suns surface and the darkening toward
the edge of the disk but by lis improved arrange
minute details the ..rice grains so-called (hough
they 3O0 miles long,, only to be dis
cerned with the most powerful telescope in
favorable observing weather. In fact. it is not too
much to say that the possessor of of these pho
tographs study at his leisure features which he
could scarcely even with the telescope. shall
exhibit Janssens photographs i'll my lectures illu-
minated by the oxy-hydrogen lantern"
GAUGING THE SUNS HEAT.
"Does this exhaust your new topics?
'Oh, no." the Professor replied, Professor Lang
ley OF Pitsburg. has made interesting investiga
tion into the question of the suns heat which
Is compared directly with that Of molten steel in
the Dessemer process The results seem to show
that the suns intrinsic heat is very much greater
than the physicists of the French school believe.
Though some have asserted that LaDgleys observa-
tions vitiated by the assumption that because
platinum wire melts when placed in the molten
steel. the temperature of steel, therefore. is above
the melting point of platinum; the tests show that
the temperature of the molten steel must be higher
than the melting point of the platinum We know that
iron melts in u mixture of bismuth and zinc whose
melting point Is not above 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
temperature far below the melting point OF iron and
it possibly may be the that chemical affinity
causes platinum wire dipped i'll melting steel 10
melt ut a far lower temperature than the actual
melting point of platinum.
"An interesting new observation" continued Pro-
fessor Proctor, ION which may have something to
say is that relating to the planet Jupiter made by
Professor Richard, OF an enormous rudy spot. not
explained except on the theory OF the intensely
heated condition OF that planets interior. may
also consider recent researches indicating the
possibility that many meteoritcs may originally
have been expelled from the earth, and shall have
much to say about the discovery OF the two moons
of Mars by Professor Asaph Hall. OF Washington,
whore by tho way shall also lecture this winter.
This closed the interview with the great English
astronomer who called away by some eager
American friends.