New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-09-30
nuv TRIBUNE SUNDAY -sIxTEEN PAGES
Of the world But astronomers know 'hs'

~ the world But astronomers know that
though so far as their IGimary oo>ec. Is
concerned national obscwatories have peeh
considerably ovcrdonc, yet most valuable
astronomical researches arc conducted at Greenwich
and Washington, Vienna and Paris. az pupilh nal'
Town. and Melbourne We are unwilling 10 aeAno ',
edge what We know to be really the case mat ihesc
great 0bscvatOrics maintained TO some ucscc uhier
iass protences-since Parliament nor Ionsess,
neither imperial royal rules, care enough ABOUT INC
satellites OF Mars, or spccroscopc oos.i aVs w
sum- to provide the annual expenses Oh eicas oossna
tories to he employed ON such researches 10y ~ 10
ycnicnt fiction these 0bscvaIOres are supposcu 10 ~,
maintained in the interests OF commerce, lucny,
If they much less needed for that purpose man
supposed, they have other And in particular
they supplied with powerful telescopes, prac'oas
useless far navigation IS concerned Dc'ns eq1a
iorially, not mel idianaly mountc ou' very gVou ioY
observing sum- moon, planets and stars for physical
details And enough observers are provided 10 keep
these fine instruments Wen In use (sturdy O4d AIRY
would scarcely let any of his stan use the Greenwich
equatorial til the last few years of his long admins
tration, when he weakened little on that poini)
/ do not know any sufficient reason, however, for
in national observ ,tores The observers have better
opportunities than Others for doing original work,
anu ample time. Yet somehow very few discoveries
Occasionally when interesting observations have been
made elsewhere the head of national observatory VIII
scope in the work, or even turn his own at
tenon to the natter But cases of the kind are Few
and far between At time when every a,tronomcr
worthy the was interested in Signor Schapaicnls
observations of Mas. Professor AewcomD iopu.ar
Asonomy' appeared with an absolutely vl modeS
With the great 26-inch rcfractor. The same
splendid telescope: however, supplied one Of the
exceptional cases | have described, when Professor
Asaph Hall, a genuine astronomer, searched ned, Ior
Marian satellites ard discovered the two now ho% ,c
The case is somewhat similar with the me ulc-
scopes set up at many colleges and universities.
These have cettany disappointed the ieasonaolc
ec1her the fault of the observers. Indeed in some
Observers who have already done gobu To, IN
control these larger instruments whose wofh has pee
thus disappointing. In some cases, doubtless. thc
/ 70 NJ larpr
OF unfit directors men being put IN coIlhdnu VI nu
instruments who have either aIcaa a'ieu % ihot
I'm similar positions, who are known 10 NC Mithou
| any real zeal in the causc of astronomy long VI
these recently Drought in bill Tor SoooO 1r a had
been appointed chief was at worE aneso fyoeHand
consisting of few t 9Se
for supcrinendng the work Of which this person was
being IN reality his own but belonging to university
paying also most handsome salary, AS 'a nc
however We must not am na6caatc no Observing skin
VI To find the rca reason why the large telescopes
have not done wha. they might have BEEN eyrc-ted TO
| do we must consider what they have 11eh GIN,
poyed in doing We find ha Almost Re w" Which
smaller telescopes have begun they have been EN-
poWers so far as dficuIty is concerned, but Of no
| original interest whatsoever. BY sort OF ahec'a
agers Of these large ,eecdpcs led to devote their
work rather to what only large telescopes can 40
| of moderate power will show details on planet,
larger telescope will show these details better or VIII
show more details but these Observers will not direct
| lis powers TO such work, for comparative small
telescope armed with a SpectrOscope. VIII disclose
most interesting facts respecting the structure OF
thc sun the nature Of his marvellous surroundings.
! and 50 forth larger one wonld be able TO conhrm
and extend these discoveries. showing moro details
and Indicating tho rial nature of phenomena before
periaB, hut paitally understood: but the observer
I Who had distinguished himself and delighted con
! tcmnorary astronomers in his work with smaller
Instrument will not the more powerful telescope
placed AZ his disposal for just such work TO the re-
npwal and improvement Of his former researches 80
with almost every department of astronomical obser-
| vaio I'm which not only the public Int astronomers
| have taken deepest interest the powers OF the
large telescopes devoted TO researches only re-
markabe because Of their dlhculty-'he observation
of very minute satellites the measurement of exceed
ingy close double stars. and other such matters,
which are not only embarrassing to the general pub.
lc bnt almost utterly vauelcsS even in the eyes OF
| the most earnest students of astronomy.
The problems still remaining for solution by telc-
scopic research those which have already been
opened by means of telescopes of moderate power.
We want TO see more clearly, and to understand
better the details. processes, and movements which
| have already interested Information on these
points is the bread for which the general public look
10 us the students Of the mobiles, Of the sciences We
must not, instead, offer them a stone
| RICHARD A. PROCTOR.