The Irish standard., 1886-08-07
a NEW NEBULA.
The Wonderful Results of an Experiment.
Recently Made In Paris.

"A NEW NEBuLA. sasRs 38.
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 and 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 it's
appearance on the Photographic plate.
This wonderful agent pictured an OBJ
ject 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 6th and 9th of
December and on the 6th of January.
The result was always the same. The
nebula was plainly discerned in the
photograph, and refused to appear to
the eve Of the observer in the telescope.
The Messrs. Henry have published q
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 inyisibility, and at dis
tance OF about three seconds from the
star. A more distinct and ill~defined
portion of the nebula makes it's way to
the south. The nebula is very intense
and takes on a plainly marked spiral
form, bearing resem blance to a gro
tesque and one-sided solar corona, and
suggesting the great nebula of Orion
on a 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 1779 Jeaurat published
a chart of the Pleiades on, which d
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 ne|>ul@ have
disappeared, and the nebula discovered
by the Henrys occupies an entirely diff
ferent place, apparently branching out
from Maisl. 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 exhib bited
on the 10th of the same month at the
Albany meeting of the National Acad-
envy Of Sciences. These Irregularities
were discussed, and supposed to be due
to defects in the Photographic process.
The photographs have been re-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 photograph
ically eptible 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 a faint, narrow streak of light
projecting from one side OF Electra.
Thus American astronomers came near
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
cf,,1
NJ. Perroti1l, Of the observatory of Nice,
where the atm ospheric conditions are
far more favorable than in Paris, an
nounces that he has seen the famous
new nebula. The observation was
made February %, and the feat was
accomplished by masking Maia. The
nebula was again observed March 3
and 4, not only by M. Pe1rotin, but by
his companions, Messrs. Thellou and
CARLOS.
The Importance of photography in
exploring the heavens can not be too
highly appreciated. 1t is claimed that
with the telescope now in use the
human eye can detect no stars smaller
than those Of the fourteenth uagni-
tude. Photography then can pierce to
depth of space beyond the power Of
the sense of sight What wonders may
be developed through it's agency in the
future! Mapping the starry heavens
is but one department. Of astronomical
photography, but its value words may
not calculate. The astron omers Of the
closing portion of the nineteenth
century are thus enabled to bequeath
to those who come after them an exact
picture Of the starlit sky. When these
maps are referred 70 one hundred
years, or even fifty years, hence every
departure from the records, every dis
appearance of star, every appear
ance of new stal.. every change of
position will mark the occurrence of
some stupendous event i'll the economy
of the material universe. Observation
piled upon observation is the only
means by which at present the inhab-
itants Of this little planet may hope 80
discover the secrets now hidden in the
star depths. s.-Providence Journal.