Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1888-08-15
Mistellaneuns &eadiua.
NEW ASTRONOMICAL DISCOVERIES.

| great Lick telescope. A few weeks ago
we referred to the discoveries that had
been made with it in the Orion nebula and
Saturn's ring system. Since then its pow
ers have been tried upon many other ce-
lestial phenomena with the most gratify-
ing, not to say astonishing, results. 1t is
plain that not only is this the most pow
erful telescope in the world, but that,
planted on mountain top in the superbly
clear air of the California coast, it is far
and away the most powerful instrument
of vision that has ever been applied to the
assistance of the human eye. Prof. Hold
EMS recent descriptions of its performance
appear to fully warrant the expectation
| that we are on the eve of some most i'm
portant discoveries to be announced from
has revealed undreamed of things. SO
surprising have been its revelations, that
the director exclaims in these words:
"Our final conclusion is that we have to
use the large telescope in new way.
There is absolutely nothing to be taken for
granted, and there is no object in the whole
heavens which we must not observe as II
viewed for the first time"
Again, in speaking of the powers of the
great telescope, which he is just learning
to use, Prof. Holden says:
II am, as you know, familiar with the
use of large telescopes, having observed
for many years with the great refractor at
Washington, but I confess 1 was not pre-
pared for the truly magnificent action of
this, the greatest of all telescopes, under
the best conditions. Ihave had such views
of the bright planets, Mars and Jupiter, OF
nebule, the Milky Way, and some OF the
stars as no other astronomers eyer before
had"
But let US take an example of these won
derful revelations. Every owner OF an
amateurs telescope knows the celebrated
Ring Nebula in the constellation Of Lyra.
It is an exceedingly beautiful phenome-
non, hanging there against the black back
ground of the sky like most delicate, yet
perfectly formed ring, or wreath, OF smoke.
It is only when we reflect on it's real size
that the mind passes from admiration to
awe at the sight of thisring. If our solar
system were placed in its centre, the gl-
gantic sweep of that luminous eclipse sur
rounding US would belt the heavens as
with a new and grander galaxy. The
form of this object, and the fact that it is
nebulous in character, have naturally LED
to many speculations based upon its re-
semblance to the nebular rings, out OF
which. according to La Places hypothesis,
the planets of our system were formed.
Here was an actual phenomenon in the
heavens which showed at least that there
could be such things as nebular rings.
The best telescopes have shown few
faint stars near the ring and one within it,
but nothing that could be regarded as
evidence of any probable connection be-
tween the stars and the ring. But at one
glance the Lick telescope has revealed
marvellous structure. Here is Professor
Holden's account of it:
"This bright neubula has been looked at
by every amateur and professional astron-
omer, by every large and small telescope
| in the world. Sir John Herschel describes
it as ring and figures small star follow
ing it. Lord Rosse, with his siX-foot re-
fector, gave five small stars outside OF IT,
and none inside. Mr.. Lassell, with his
four-feet reflector, figures it with thirteen
faint stars in an oval outside, and one in
side the ring. So 1 saw it with the Wash
ington refractor of twenty-six inches aper-
ture in 1875. Our first look at this nebula
with the twenty-six-inch telescope, showed
great variety of new detail, and care
full examination has disclosed to us not
only the single star inside, but likewise
eleven others inside the inner oval or pro-
iected on the bright nebulosity between
the outer and inner ovals. Not only this,
but it is obvious that the plan on which
this neblula is built, is that of a series OF
ellipses, or ovals. There is first the ring of
faint stars outside the nebula; then the
outer and inner bounding ovals of the
nebula; then the out and inner bounding
ovals of the nebulosity; next ring OF
faint stars around the edges of the interior
ring, and fnallya number of stars critical
ly situated on the various parts OF the
nebulosity and outer oval. The object is
entirely new one in its appearance ana
its suggestions as seen here"
One cannot read this description without
recognizing the strong probability that
there is an intimate connection between
the nebulous ovals and the rings of stars.
Here, then, it seems, we behold corner
of the universe where the great work of
creation is now actually in progress. Here
in this cosmic worship of Lyra are scatter
ed raw materials and finished solar bodies;
rows of suns abaze with pristine light,
and masses of uniformed vapor in whose
bosom the carbon atoms may be floating,
which, in ripeness of time, shall assume
forms of beauty and life. There are other
spots in the heavens where stars and neb-
ulous matter are mingled in way that
suggests close relationship, but none 80
remarkable as this discovered by professor
Holden. Even the curious group called
the Pleiades, where, as recent photograph
| ic discoveries have shown, nebular masses
and streams are mingled in the strangest
fashion with the stars, there is nothing so
remarkable as the concentric rings des-
cribed by the director of the Lick Observ-
atory. In the constellation Of Aquarlus
there is small nebula-small, that is, as
seen from the earth, though enormously
large in reality, which presents the sug-
gestive phenomena of a globular mass, ap-
parently surrounded by fattish ring, re-
calling the appearance of Saturn. But
even this must be regarded as less inter-
esting object than the Ring Nebula of I!yra
now appears to be, with its marvellous
wreaths of suns and sun stuff.
What Professor Holden says OF his views
of the planets also gives US reason to ex-
meet most interesting discoveries within
our own system. He remarks that "a
transit of the shadow of one of Jupiter's
satellites recently observed has given US
quite new ideas on the subject of the re-
| fraction and density of the atmosphere OF
this planet" Jupiter has been assiduous-
! ly observed by many astronomers within
the past ten years because OF certain
strange appearances on its disk, such as the
celebrated "red spot" and any news that
may come from Mount Hamilton about
it will be most eagerly received.-[NeW
York Sun.
ENGLISH OPINIONS OF AMERICAN Pol
1TICs.-Our Republican newspaper friends
are gleefully quoting the London journals
declarations that the Democracy are TOR
free-trade this year. They do not state,
what fair opponent should, that such
opinions must be taken with grain OF