Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1882-10-21
TAKING DIANA,S PHOTOGRAPH.
The Way the Astronomers Make the
IncOnstnnt Moon Sit for Her Like.

The Way the Astronomers Make the
From the Baltimore News]
Photographs of the moon are not mere
scientific curiosities. They not only
serve useful purpose in astronomical
research, but they have a commercial
value. Few collections of stereoscopic
views are destitute of one or more of
these photographs. They are as popular
AS pictures of some actresses. The way
these views are obtained is interesting.
Everybody knows that stereoscopic
picture OF person or waterfall is got
by combining two pictures of the object
taken from different standpoints, 80 that
each shows little around the corner,
and the two being combined make the
object appear to stand out in hfelike
perspective. To produce the same effect
with the moon, advantage is taken of the
fact that she vibrates, or rolls little
upon her center, in swinging about the
earth. so that at one time we see little
more of one side than usual, and at an
other time of the other side. When two
photographs of the moon, taken at OPP
posite Vibrations, are combined by the
stereoscope, the lunar orb seems sus-
pended before the eyes like ball that
the hand can grasp.
America is ahead of Europe in the art
of celestial photography. Englishmen
of science, who, like all Englishmen,
have keen eye for the detection of
special excellence in the work of their
own countrymen, admit this. They say
that the photographs of the moon taken
by Mr.. Lewis NJ. Rutherford, of New
York, are better than those taken by
their own Delarue, who is SO conspicu-
GUS an astronomer that one of the oceans
of the planet Mars has been named after
him. Mr.. Rutherford's lunar photo
graphs are so fine that they can be suf-
ficiently magnified to furnish better
view OF the moons rocky scenery than
many amateur astronomers can obtain
with the full power of their telescopes.
Everybody has seen what is called
the old moon in the new moons
arms" When the moon, only a few
days old, appears AS q narrow crescent,
the unilluminated portion of her orb is
seen shining with faint, ashy light.
This light comes from the earth, and is
reflected back by the moon just as the
landscape is family visible in full moon
shine. A few weeks ago, nj. Jansen, Of
Paris, succeeded in making photographs
of the moon that showed this phenome-
non clearly. So light that sprang from
the sun was reflected from the fields and
waters of the earth to the moon. was
thrown back from her stony surface to
the earth again, and after this triple
journey yet retained enough power to
stamp the faint picture of lunar land
scapes upon photographs plate.
Noon photographs are taken by the
aid Of telescopes, the prepared plate be-
ing fixed Mt the focus of the instrument
in the place Of the eve piece. They are
obtained only one or two inches in d.
ameter. and have to he enlarged. Fine
ones will bear being enlarged TO diam
otter Of two or three feet Mr.. Ruther-
ford uses refracting telescope to photo
graph the moon, the object glass being
peculiarly corrected 80 that it focuses
the actinic rays. Most other astronomi-
cal photographers use rejecting tele-
scopes, in which concave mirror takes
the place Of an object glass;
The moon is not the only celestial
object whose picture can be taken. Pho
tographs are also made Of the san, show
ing the spots and the phenomena Of
eclipses. Venus and Mercury have been
photographed when in transit across the
suns disk. Even stars can be photo
graphed, and recently Prof Draper, of
this city, succeeded in photographing
the Great Nehula Of Orion, which RS
tronomers believe to he an enormous
mass Of gaseous matter containing in
itself the germs Of future world and