Morning journal and courier., 1883-03-31
The Great Russian T,elescope.
The GiOries of Saturn, Jupiter and the Great NebuIa of Orion Revealed Through It.

The Giorfes of Saturn, Jupiter and the Great NebuIa of Orion as Revealed Through It.
 GFrom the Providence JournaLl
 Through the kind invitation of Messrs Alvan Clark & Sons, small party of obser- vers from this city paid visit to Cambridge port for the purpose of behelding the starlit heavens through the largest and best reflect ing telescope in the world, for these famous telescope makers have recently completed sn object glass thirty inches in diameter for the PuIkowa Observatory, the Russian govern ment making contract with them for an objective that should exceed in size and per lection of workmanship any other instru- ment of the kind in the world. In order to test the working qualities of the object-glass, trial mounting has been erected in the yard of the workshop, with dimensions core spending in magnitude to the great objective. This temporary structure consists of 8 pier of solid masonry twentyseven feet in height, to which is firmly fixed with various joints, hinges and movements, sheet-iron tube made in three sections. This tube is forty five feet in length and forty inches in 5iame- ter.
 Nothing Is moro essential to the success of astronomical observation than the weather, and nothing Is more uncertain. The mild winter day had been almost perfect in it's conditions, clear sunshine, a cloudless sky, a gorgeous sunset. But as the sun sank be-
 
 this subsided 1t was succeeded by an intense cold that made it no pastime to be out in the open air. The members Of the observing party, however, nothing daunted, take their places under the stars. The expanse of the heavens presents scene of exceeding beau ty. The sky is undecked by a single cloud, the crisp, cold atmosphere is free from
 breath of moisture. A suspicion of twilight still fingers in the west, the slender crescent of the new moon, only day old, holds in her arms the old moon with an outline of re- markable distinctness, and the zodiacal light extends it's cone of pale gold high up toward the zenith. The stars swarm in the dark dome arching above us, as they twinkle and glitter in the frosty air. The brightest stars, the most superb clusters that spangle the Armament, are included in the grand process sion, the princely Jupiter marshalling the host. Rising from an unbroken surface of
 snow, and looming up in the blackness of
 night with ghostlike distinctness, the huge
 telescope seems to pierce the skies and dwarf to LilIiputian dimensions the observers at it's
 base. We are impressed with thesublimity and grandeur of the twinkling mysteries that
 people the sky depths. We feel that we are
 on consecrated ground For on this spot
 Mr. A1van Clark, the younger, while testing
 an object-glass, made in 1862 one of the
 great discoveries of the century, the compan-
 ion of Sirius. Here, too, the great Washing
 ton telescope was finished in 1873, and has
 made itself illustrious by bringing to view,
 in 1877. the two moons of Mars. There is reason, therefore, to hope that the instru
 ment on which we are now looking. with it's
 larger calibre, and under the skillful hand ling of Otto Struve, will become even more
 famous on astronomical records.
 Obiect-glass, eye piece, and other acquired appurtenances are in position, and the great
 eye is pointed at the planet Saturn. The transformation is like vision of fairy land
 The pale star, on which, moment since, we
 had looked with the unaided eye, is now creation of surpassing loveliness, the most charming telescopic object the heavens re
 veal Saturn, his rings and his moons are
 before us. The disk, 8 golden sphere crossed
 by faint cloud bands of delicate creamy tint, the wonderful rings softly cradling the
 planet. seven of the eight moons beaming from the dark background of the sky, Titan. the largest mo m, showing 8 perceptible disk, make up the shining picture Every detail of the magnificent and complex Sa- turnian system is complete. The shadowy cloud-bands on the disk the outer ring, with it's faint line of division; the division between the outer and inner rings; the sec ond or inner ring the third or crepe ring, closely joined to the second and the break in the rings formed by the shadow of the planet There is, however, an imperfect1on in the view. The definition is not perfect, most important element where planets are concerned It would seem that telescopes Of such dimensions should magnify objects in proportion to the size. But such is not the case. Saturn looks but little larger than in smaller glass, though much brighter. For the great telescopes collect and concentrate all the light that falls upon them, and herein lies their power. The coloring of the pie ture is exquisite. The glorious orb, it's sur face resplendent with liquid gold, is crossed by central band of creamy white, and hecked with spots of delicate prismatic hues, and the rings are curiously variegated in col or, the innermost being of 8 rich purple. The planet seems almost to stand upright
 within the engirding rings. only small DOT ton being visible beneath them. We are
 fortunate in seeing him under very fayora-