The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-03-27

TIE PLANETS SEEN THROUGH THE LARGEs
OBJECT-GLAss IN THE WORLD.

TIE PLANETS SEEN THROUGH THE LARGEST
OBJEcT-GLAss IN THE WORLD.
The astronomical editor OF the Provi.
denee Journal recently visited Cambridge.
port, Mass, and had the pleasure Of gazing
at the planets through the largest and best
yefracting telescope in the world. Messrs.
Alvan Clark e. Sons having completed the
object glass, thirty inches in diameter,
for the Pultowa Observatory, in Russia,
had mounted the glass for the purpose OF
testing its working qualities. The tempo
rary structure consists Of pier Of solid
masonry twenty.sevcn 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
i've feet in length and forty inches in di-
ameter. The first object viewed was Sa-
turn, and the Transformation is likened TO
q vision OF fairyland. The pale star on
which moment since we had looked with
The unaided eye is now creation OF sur
passing loneliness, the most charming tele-
scopic object the heavens reveal. Saturn,
his rings and his moons, are before
us. The disc, golden sphere crossed
by faint cIoud-bands OF delicate
creamy tint, the wonderful rings softly
eradling tue planet, seven OF the eight
moons, beaming from the dark back
ground OF the sky, Titan, the largest moon.
showing a perceptible disc, make up the
shining picture. Every detail OF the mag
pificent and complex Saturnian system is
complete. The shadowy cloud-bands on
the disc; the outer ring, with its faint line
OF division; the division between the outer
and innerrings; the second or inner ring;
the third or crepe ring closely joined to
the second; and the break in the rings
termed by the shadow Of the planet.
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 q telescope OF eight
inches aperture. He is, however, much
brighter, on account of the light-collecting
power Of the glass. Though by no means
ss magnificent as Saturn, he far exceeds
him In mass aud volume, and as he is twice
- near, we see him on q much larger
scale. The giant OF the system takes
on grand proportions; the flood OF
light irradating his surface brings
ont every minute detail. His broad belts
are delicious in coloring, suifused with pale
rose, notified with soft gray, purple, brown,
and delicate green. We have seen Jupiter
when the definition was much more per-
feet, but never with the variety Of tint and
tone we behold this night; never before
did he seem so near, so grand in proper
tions, so symmetrical i'm equipose. His
four satellites are in line on his left. and
bear witness to the power OF the telescope
by presenting discs instead OF points. We
find 1t difficult to decide which OF the two
pictures Is the more beautiful. Saturn is
more magnificent, more complex, more GU
riols, but Jupiter Is more majestic, more
like the great sun himself.
The great nebula OF Orion was also In
spected. and the little wisp Of cloud-haze
around the star in the sword OF the Mighty
Hunter that is visible to the unaided vision
becomes one OF the most glorious specta-
cles that ever breaks upon the entranced
eye OF an observer. The most wonderful
nebula the northern skies reveal is before
us, filing the field OF view and slifrused
with celestial light suggestive of the holy
city that had ono need Of the sun, neither
OF the moon to shine in 1t; for the glory OF
God did tighten it,"
In conclusion the editor says: "The
Russian objective will soon be transport
ed to its destination in the Pulkowa OBJ
servatory, founded by the Car Nicholas,
and overlooking the city Of the Cars
from Its lofty position Oh the Pulkowa
hills, nine miles south OF st. Petersburg.
We shall never again behold the wonders
OF the sky through its great obiect-glass,
but as long ~ life endures we shall re-
memher the time when we beheld, ira
dated by its light-collecting power, and
brought near by its great eye the magnifi-
cence OF Saturn, the grandeur OF Jupiter.
and the awe-inspiring combination of
beauty, mystery, aud shadowy form OF the
great ucbula of Oriop1