Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-07-01
A NEW NEBULA.
The Wonderful Results of an Experiment
Recently Made I'm Paris.

The Wonderful Results of an Experiment.
Recently Made in Paris.
The Paris observatory has in success
full working order an ingenious and eff
fective apparatus for celestial photog-
raphy. Messrs. Paul ard Prosper
Henry, able and earnest workers at the
observatory, photographed, by means
of this apparatus, the well-known clus-
ter of stars called the Pleiades on the
10th of last November. Greatly to
their surprise, new nebula made its
appearance on the Photographic plate.
This wonderful agent pictured an OBJ
iect which their closest observation
through the large telescope of the Paris
observatory failed to detect. In order
to make assurance doubly sure, the
cluster was photographed three times
subsequently, ON the 9Th and 9th of
December and on the 9Th of January.
The result was always the same. The
nebula was plainly discerned in the
photograph, and refused to appear to
the eye of the observer in the telescope.
The Messrs. Henry have published
drawing of the new nebula. 1t has
curious and weird appearance. 1t
seems to start from Maia, one of the
seven sisters of the group, moving at
first toward the west and then turning
suddenly toward the north and at last
fading into invisibility, and at dis
nf ahnnt tbran cnoaphc from tho
star. A more distinct and ill-defined
portion of the nebula makes its way to
the south. The nebula is very intense
and takes on plainly marked spiral
form, bearing resemblance to a gro
tesque and one-sided solar corona, and
suggesting the great nebula of Orion
on small scale.
The discovery of the nebula in the
Pleiades has revived the memory of
mysterious objects that have been seen
from time to time among the stars of
this group. In 1879 Jcaurat published
chart of the Pleiades on which a
nebula appears near the star Atlas. In
1859 Tempel discovered a nebula in the
same cluster, near the star Merope,
which was seen by several other OBJ
servers. Both of these nerul;e have
disappeared, and the nebula discovered
| by the Henrys occupies an entirely diff
| fcrent place, apparently branching out
from Maia. Three, therefore, of the
stars composing the Pleiades either are
or have been. surrounded by nebulous
masses.
The most interesting fact concerning
the new nebula is that related by Prof.
Pickering, of the Harvard college OBJ
servatory. A photograph of the Plei-
AIDES was taken at the observatory on
the Sd of November that developed cer-
tain irregularities. 1t was exhibited
on the 10th of the same month at the
Albany meeting of the National Acad-
emy of Sciences. These Irregularities
were discussed, and supposed TO be due
to defects in the Photographic process.
The photographs have been rc-exam-
ined since the discovery of the Henrys.
One of the Irregularities SO closely cor
responds to the new nebula that no
doubt can exist in regard to its origin.
1t must represent light photographs
ically perceptible in the vicinity OF
Maia. The other markings on the
Cambridge photograph have acquired
a new interest. There seems to be in
dications of nebulous light about Mer-
ope, and faint, narrow streak of light
projecting from one side of Electra.
Thus American astronomers came neal
winning the honor that was won thir.
teen days later by Paris astronomers.
Although the Messrs. Henry have thus
far been unable to detect the new neb.
ula by the aid of the telescope, Other
astronomers have been more successful.
M. Pcrrotin, of the observatory of Nice,
where the atmospheric conditions are
far more favorable than in Paris, an
nounces that he has seen the famous
new nebula. The observation was
made February 2S, and the feat was
accomplished by masking Maia. The
nebula was again observed March
and 4, not only by M. Perrotin, but by
his companions, Messrs. Thellou ant
CARLOS.
The importance of photography in
exploring the heavens can not be toe
hipuiy aPplcclatcu' l.. 10 cldiiheu eiid
with the telescope now in use thu
human eye can detect no stars smalle
than those of the fourteenth magni
tude. Photography then can pierce t
depth of space beyond the power o
the sense of sight. What wonders ma,
be developed through its agency in thu
future! Mapping the starry heaven
. is but one department of Astronomical
photography, but its value words ma,
not calculate. The astronomers of tn
closing portion of the nineteenth
, century are thus enabled to bequeatl
to those who come after them an exac
picture of the starlit sky When thes
maps are referred TO one hmdre'
| years, or even fifty years, hence ever.
: departure from the records, every dis
appearance of star, every appear
ance of new star, every change G
position will mark the occurrence @
: some stupendous event in the econom
of the material universe. Observatio
piled upon observation is the onl
means by which at present the inhat
itants of this little planet may hope t
discover the secrets now hidden in th
i |