Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-04-07
TIE DAIRY RECoRD-UNION.
VISIT AMONG THE STARS.
The Glories Of Saturn, Jupiter and Eebul
M flrfnn

Through the kind invitation of Alvin
CLARK & Sons, a small party Of observers
from Providence, R. l., paid visit to
Cambridgeport for the purpose of beholding
the starlit heavens through the largest and
best rejecting telescope in the world, for
these telescope-makers have recently COM
Melted an object glass thirty inches in d.
ameter for the Pulkowa Observatory, the
Russian Government making contract
with them for an objective that should ex.
coed in size and perfection of workman
ship any other instrument of the kind in
The world. In order to test the working
qualities of the object glass, trial mount
inc has been erected In the yard of the
workshop. with dimensions corresponding
to the magnitude of the great objective
This temporary structure consists OF pier
of solid masonry twenty seven feet in
hight. to which is firmly fixed, with vari-
Gus joints, hinges and movements, sheet
iron tube made in three sections. The
tube is forty-five feet In length and forty
inches in diameter. Nothing is more essen
tial to the success of astronomical observa-
ton than the weather, and nothing more
uncertain. The mild winter day had been
almost perfect in its conditions, clear
sunshine, cloudless sky, gorgeous sun.
set, But as the sun sank below the hori-
ION a fierce wind arose. When this SUBJ
sided it 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 heaven presents scene of exceeding
beauty. The sky is unlocked by single
cloud, the crisp, cold atmosphere is free
from breath of moisture. A suspicion of
twilight still fingers in the west, the slen-
der crescent Of the new moen, only day
old, holds In her arms the old moon with
an outline of remarkable distinctness, and
the zodiacal light extends its 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 in.
cluded in. the grand procession, the princely
Jupiter marshaling the host Rising from
an unbroken surface of snow, and looming
uD in the blackness of night with ghost
like indistinctness, the huge telescope
seems to pierce the skies and dwarf to Lii
putian dimensions the observers at its base.
We are impressed with the sublimity and
grandeur of the twinkling mysteries that
people the sky depths. We feel that we
are on consecrated ground. For on this
spot Alvin Clark, the younger, while test
ing an object-glass, made in 1862 one of
the great discoveries of the century, the
companion of Sirius. Here, too, the great
Washington 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
instrument on which we are now looking,
with its larger caliber, and under the skill
full handling of Otto Strive, will become
even more famous on astronomical records
Object glass, eye-piece and other required
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, a moment
since, we had looked with the unaided eye
Is now creation of SURPRISING loneliness,
the most charming telescope object the
heavens reveal Saturn, his rings and his
moons, are before u.s. The disk, golden
sphere crossed by faint oloud-ba of a
delicate creamy tint, the wonderful rings
softly grading the planet, seven of the
eight moons beaming from the dark back
ground of the sky. Titan, the largest
moon, showing a perceptible disk, make
up the shining picture. Every detail of
the magnificent and complex Saturnian
system is complete. The shadowy cloud
bands on the disk the outer ring, with
its faint line of division; the division
between the outer and inner rings the
second or inner ring the third or crepe
ring, closely joined to the second and the
Aha gorrnaI tho oh Aox1y
of the planet. There is, however, an i'm
perfection in the view. The definition is
not perfect, a most important element
where planets are concerned. 1t 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 a smaller
glass, though much brighter. For the
great telescopes collect and concentrate all
the light that falls upon them, and therein
lies their power. The coloring of the pict-
ure is exquisite. The glorious orb, It's
surface Respondent with liquid gold, Is
crossed by a central band of creamy white,
and fecked with spots of delicate prismatic
hues, and the rings are curiously variegated
in color, the innermost being OF rich pur-
pie. The planet seems almost to stand up
right within the engirdling rings, only
small portion being visible beneath them.
We are fortunate in seeing him under very
favorable aspect. For his rings are open
ing wider his northern declination is in
creasing, and he is approaching perihelion.
These conditions will eliminate In 1855.
Jupiter is the next object to test the space
annihilating glass. The prince of planets
is superb, larger than the full moon, though
but little larger than we have seen him
many times in telescope of eight inches
aperture. He is, however, much brighter,
on account of the light-collecting power of
the glass. Though by no means as mag
nifcent as Saturn, he far exceeds him in
mass and volume, and, as he is twice as
near, we see him on a much larger scale.
The giant of the system takes on grand
proportions, the flood of light irradiating
his surface brings out every minute detail.
His broad belts are delicious in coloriDg,
sufused with pale rose, mottled with soft
gray, purple, brown and delicate green.
We have seen Jupiter when the definition
was much more perfect, but never with the
variety of tint and tone we behold this
night never before did he seem so near, SO
grand in proportions, SO symmetrical In
eouipoise. His four satellites are in line
on his left and bear witness to the power
OF the telescope by presenting disks in
stead of points. We find it difficult to de-
eide which of the two pictures is the more
beautiful. Saturn is more magnificent,
more complex, more curious, but Jupiter is
more majestic, more like the great sun
himself. We have time for only one more
view, and this is to be the great nebula of
Orion. In moment, in twinkling of an
eye, the little wisp of cloud haze round the
star in the sword Of the Mighty Hunter
that is visible to the unaided vision be.
comes one of the most glorious spectacles
that ever breaks upon the entranced eye of
an observer. The most wonderful nebula
the northern skies reveal is before us, fill.
ing the field of view, and suffused with
celestial light suggestive of the holy city
that had ''no need of the sun, neither of
the moon to shine in it, for the glory of
Cod did tighten it." The delicacy of the