West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1886-06-18
A NEW NEBuLA.
The Wonderful Results ot an ESpcrimcn
Recently Made la Paris.

ne iorl~ observatory has IN success
ful working order an ingenious and cf-
fcctiyc apparatus for celestial photog-
raphy Mc,>rs. Paul aud Prosper
Henry able and earnest worker, at the
Observatory photographed. by means
of this apparatus. tho wcll-known cluS-
ten of stars called the PlciadcS on the
10th oi last NoNCmbcr Greatly 10
their surprise, "A new ucbula made its
appearance on the Photographic plate
This wonderful agent pictured am OBJ
icct which their closest observation
through the large telescope of the Paris
observatory failed to detect I'm order
to make assurance doubly sure. the
cluster was photographed three times
subsequently, on the Sth and 9th OF
December and ON the Sth of january.
The result was always the same. Tho
nchua was plainly disccrncd ih the
photograph, and refused 60 appear TO
the cyr of the observer I'm the telescope.
The McSsrS Henry have published
drawing of the new ncbula. IL has n
curious and weird appearance. IL
seems tu start from Maia, one Of the
seven sisters of the group. moving at
suddenly toward tho north and at last
fading into invisibility. and at dis
taucc of about three seconds from the
star A moro distinct and ill-Iclincd
portion Of the nCbula makes its way to
the south. The ncbuln is very intense
and takes on a plainly marked spiral
form, bearing a resemblance to gro
tcSquc and onc-Sided solar corona. and
suggesting the great ncbula of Orion
ON a small scale.
The discovery of the ncbula i'm the
PlciadcS has revived the memory of
mysterious objects that have bcon seen
from time to time among the stars Of
this group. In 1879 Jenurat published
a chart of the Plciadcs on which "A
ncbula appears near the star Atlas In
! lS19 Icmpcl discovered u ncbula i'm the
| same cluster, near the star Mcropc.
which was seen by several other OBJ
| servers. Both of these ncHulr have
| disappeared and the ncbula discovered
| 10y the llcprys occupies an cntirnlN diff
icrcnt place, apparently branching out
| from Maia Three, therefore. Of the
| stars composing the Plciadcs either arc
on have been surrounded hv ncbulous
MASSES.
The most interesting fact concerning
| the new ncbula is that related 10y Prof.
| Pickering, of the Harvard college OBJ
scralory. \ photograph of the Plci-
! aides was taken at the observatory ON
| the Sd of November that developed Ger.
| tain Irregularities. II was exhibited
| on the 10th of the same month at the
| Albany meeting of the National Acad-
| cmy Of Sciences. These irrcglllarltic,
! were discussed, and supposed TO be due
| TO defects IN the Photographic process.
! The photographs have been GcscNam.
| med since the discovery Of the ,IIcnrys.
| One of the irregularities so closely cor.
| responds 10 the new ncbula that nc
| doubt can exist in regard To itS origin
| II must represent light photograph
! lcally pcrcoptiblc in the vicinity oI
Maia The other markings on tho
| Cambridge photograph have acquired
| new interest There seems to bc in
| dication, of ncbulous light about M"r
! opc. aud faint narrow streak OF light
! projecting from one side Of Electra
! Thus American astronomers came nrai
! winning the honor that was won thir
! teen days later by Paris astronomers
! Although the Mcssrs Henry have thur
! fT been unable TO detect the new nob
| ula 10y the aid of the telescope. Other
! astronomers have been more -ucces-ful
! NJ. Pcrrotiu. Of the observatory of Nice
! where Che atmospheric conditions nrC
! FAR more favorable than iu Paris. an
! nOuuc". that hc Ian. seen the famOu
| new nrbula The observation WA.
! made February 2S and the feat wa,
accomplished 10y masking NADIA. Tn,
ncbula was again observed March
and :, not only by NJ Pcrrotin, bat b,
his companions, Mc-srs Thcllou anc
! CARLOS.
The importance OF photogtaphy in
! exploring thc heavens can not be too
highly appreciated Iti. claimed thaO
! with the telescope now in 'u-c tho
! human csc can detect mo- stars smaller
than those of the fpurtccnth mugni
! tudc. Photography then can pierce 4,
! depth Of space beyond the power %
! the sense Of sight What wonder. ma,
! bee developed through it, agency i'm th,
! future Mapping the starry heavens
! is bul one department of astrdnOmica
/ photography. bat it- value word ma,
! not caldltlato. The astronomers Of th,
| losing portion Of the nineteenth
! century are thus enabled 10 bcqurafl
! 70 those who como after them an exact
| picture ~ the tarit -kv When these
/ map arc referred 90 ono hundred
/ years, "rctcu fifty years hrurc every
! departure from the records. every di-.
| appearance Of a star. every appoar
| anco Of 20 new star, every change a.
/ position viii mark the occuucucr NJ
/ -omc 7tupeudOu. event 100 tho ccOuom,
l 'i de matCri8 universe. Observation
| piIed Upon observation i. the onl,
means hY which at present fhc irbab
/ llni Of this Iitt'c planet may hop :,
/ discover thc sorrrt now hidden boz On,
/ stdT dCUtl- lyyruIlU,r JluyU0I