Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-02-17
WONDERS OF THE SKY.
WHAT A PEEP THROUGH THE LICK
TELESCOPE REVEALED.
San Francisco Chronicle.


est increases in astronomical circles
as TO the wonders which it will re-
veal with regard to other worlds
and the extent to which, beneiltlng
by its happy situation and extraor-
binary powers, it will excel all
other telescopes. Yesterday morn
ing Thos. +. Fraser arrived home
from Mount Hamilton, and as, up
TO within two months ago, he was
superintendent of construction OF
the observatory, and chose its site
for Jas. Lick, it was thought that
he might very possibly afford some
interesting information, not only |
relative to the progress OF the work.
hut also of the powers of the great
glass.
he was asked. /
awe were in hopes by the end OF
February, but I can say with toler'
able certainty thatitIwill be the end
of March before the observatory Is
turned over to the regents
81 suppose you had a peep
through the big glass; 7"
"Well, of course, though not so
much, because the weather was bad
however, think we saw several
things which have never before
been seen, and which may be look
ed upon in the light of discoveries
The first peep had was about noon,
when the glass was brought to bear
on Venus. Being so near the sun
she is always difficult to see, but
saw her better with a five hundred
pover through the great objective
than ever before at night with
12.inch glass. She looked almost
40 large as our own moon does
through a 6.inch glass at night AV
times. when using a higher power
we imagined we could see marx
ings on the disc, and much will oe
learned of the interesting planet IN
fine weather.
"Did you observe any other
planets y
GAS the weather promised 10 DO
: fairer. | waited until night, and
| was rewarded for so doing. AS
) SOON as Mr.. Clark had finished the
. photograph, which he always takes
to correct the lens by, we com
= menced to observe the neouI@ o.
= Orion. Capt. Floyd had before in
formed me that he thought he hac
D seen two stars never before observ
n cd. and Mr.. Clark was also tolera
k bly confident of this. On turning
the glass on the trapezium OF ORION
/, we could distinctly see one sta
/. within the figure above the lowe
right.hand star. 1t is about a
It faint an object as can be looked a
n by any glass, but it was there VIII
ont a doubt, and has never oeIor
s. been seen. Outside of the trapez
20 nm another faint star was seen I
d the right of the upper star ot I'd
)r constellation. We separated IL, an
Alvin Clark expressed the opinlo
o that this is also the discovery OF
n new star, as 1t could not have bee
re- separated by any other glass"
"Sirus, the dog star, is such
favorlte with astronomers that
le should think you might haye take
Or shot at it 7"
u $50 we did, and l was then mos
Mt struck with the wonderful clearne'
H. and great hght-gathering powe
ry OF the 80 inch objective. 1t was
Il. significant sight. The star wi
ly not like a point of light as l hay
before seen it through other tel
no scopes. In fact the star proved
90 be a round disc, as it has oft'
te been theoretically held to be. IL
ror a sun like ours, only immense
larger. Sirius companion could
distinctly seen with 800 power {
3D. the 3G.inch glass, while it is dout
lal tul if it can be seen and measure
lid by any other glass in the Unit
OF States at the present time. 1t h
re- been getting closer during the Ia
'ed Cour wears. It's orbit takes hi
ng wears to travel, and to me, as
OF amateur, it seems that Sirius ls
OF sun and irs companion is SIM
ply world like ours. SO clear was o
vas view that even All experienced {
soil server ike Clark could not conc'
ing his s,rnrise at the wonderful efiec
wn "What interested you most r
"Well, the grandest sight OF
TO me was the moon. 1t "
brought within $50 miles OF
ITS earth. and We could see the crate
'ich canons, ravlnes, rocks and vale
ade with the greatest distinctness, j.
her as though they we're on a checI
sne board. There was absolutely
nile sign of life-nOthing but bari
hi" white waste, everything desolatt
''1n "What power did you use p
l 10 "AlI the objects we looked at
rleu used powers of from 300 10 l,O
'ue according to the clearness OF
'e,C W sky. The Lick objective, howeV
VIII will stand power of 5000, and
wonders will then be watched
the scientific world, while | sho
so, think no educated Iayman co
Iys fail to be keenly interested in
WIN results obtained"
ther "Then your opinion of the pow
,,,"' ,.o1 of the glass is goodY"
',Vu =, "Unqualidedly so. 1t Is not
his ly the best and largest in