The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-04-06
THE GREAT RUSSIAN TELESCOPE.
flle Giories of Saturn, Jupiter and the Great
NebuIa of Orion as Revealed Through 1t.


Nebula of Orion as Revealed Through 1t.
Providence Journal. =,
Through the kind invitation of Messrs. AL
van Clark & Sons, a small party of observers
from this city paid visit to Cambridgeport
Tor the purpose of beholdlng the starllt
heavens through the largest and best reflect
ing telescope in the world, for these famous
telescope makers have recently completed an
object glass thirty inches in diameter for the
PnIkowa Observatory the Russian govern
ment making a contract with them tor 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
lest the working qualities of the object-glass,
a trial mounting has been erected in the yard
of the workshop, with dimensions CORE
spending to the magnitude of the great OBJ
jective. This temporary structure consists
of pier of solid masonry twenty -seven feet
in height to which is firmly fixed with
various joints, hinges and movements, a
sheet-iron tube made in three sections. The
tube is forty-five feet in length and forty
inches in diameter.
Nothing is more essential to the success of
astronomical observation than the weather,
and nothing is more uncertain. The mild
winter day had been almost perfect in its
conditions-a clear sunshine, a cloudless
sky gorgeous sunset. But as the sun sank
below the horizon a fierce wind arose. When
this subsidized 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 cloud, the crisp,
cold atmosphere is free from a breath OF
moisture A suspicion of twilight still lin
gers in the west the slender crescent of the
new moon, only day old, holds in her arms
the old moon with an outline OF remarkable
distinctness and the zodacal 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 included in the grand procession, the
princely Jupiter marshaling the host Ris-
ing from an unbroken surface of snow, and
]oom ng up in the blackness of night with
ghostlike lndistinctness, the huge tele-
scope seems to pierce the skies and dwarf to
lilliputian 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 Mr..
Alvin Clark the younger, while testing an
object glass, made in 1862 one of the great
discoveries of the century, the companion of
Sirius. Here, too the great Washington tel
escope was finished in 1873, and has made
itself illustrious by bringing to view, in
1877 the two moons of Mars. There is rea-
son, therefore, to hope that the instrument
on which we are now looking, with its large
caliber and under the skillful handling of
Otto Strive, will become even more famous
on astronomical records
Object-glass, eye-piece and other acquired
Rppurtenances are in position, and the great
eye is pointed at the planet Saturn. The
transformation is like a vision of fairy land.
The pale star, on which, q moment since we
1nI l.1l- Rr.-tfI ri lad 70 n
creation of surprising loveliness, the most
charming telescope object the heavens re-
veal Saturn, his rings and his moons are
before us. The disk, golden sphere crossed
by faint cloud-bands of delicate creamy
tint, the wonderful rings softly grading the
planet, seven of the eight moons beaming
FROM the dark background of the sky, Titan,
the largest moon, showing a perceptible disk,
make up the shinging picture. Every detail
of the magnificent and complex Saturnian
system is complete. The shadowy cloud
bands of 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 break in the rings
p formed by the shadow of the planet. There
8, however, an imperfection in the view.
The definition is not perfect, most import
AMI element where planets are concerned.
IL would SEEM that telescopes of such di-
mansions should magnify objects in proper
ton 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 herein
lies their power. The coloring of the pic
ture is exquisite The glorious orb, its sur
face resplendent with liquid gold, is crossed
by central band of creamy white, and
fiecked with spots of delicate prismatlc hues,
and the rings are curiouslv variegated in
color the innermost being OF a rich purple.
The planet seems almost to stand upright
within the engirdling rings, only small
portion being visible beneath them. We
are fortunate in seeing him under a very
wider, his northern declination is increas-
ing and he is approaching perihelion. These
conditions will eliminate in 1885.
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 magnificent as
Saturn, he far exceeds him in mass and vol.
ume, and, as he is twice as near We see him
on much larger scale. The giant of the
system takes on grand proportions the flood
of light irradiatng his surface brings out
every minute detail. His broad belts are de
licious in coloring, suffused with pale rose
notified 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 sym.
metrical in equipoise. His four satellites
are in line on his left and bear witness
to the power of the telescope by presenting
disks instead of points. We find it difficult
to decide which of the TWO pictures is the
more beautiful. Saturn is more magnificent
more complex, more curious, but Jupiter i.
more majestic, more like the great sur
himself.
We have time only for one more view, and