The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-03-08
THE LICK OBSERVATORY.
Wonders of the Great Ohjective-Discosery
ofTwo Stars.

Wonders of the Great Objective-DiscoSery
ofTwo Stars.
"Now. Mr.. Fraser. 1 suppose you had
peep through the big glass;"
'sWell, of course, though not much,
because the weather was bad; how
ever, think we saw several things
which have never before been seen,
and which may be looked upon in the
light of discoveries. The first peep
had was about noon Tuesday, 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 500-power through the
great objective than ever before at
night with 12-inch glass. She looked
almost as large as our own moon does
through six-inch glass at night. AT
times when using a higher power we
imagined we could see markings on
the disk, and much will be learned OF
this interesting planet in fine wealth
er"
did you observe any other plan
ets?"
LAS the weather promised to be
fairer, waited until Tuesday 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 commenced to
observe the nebulR of Orion. Capt
Floyd had before informed me that he
thought he had seen two stars never
before observed. and Mr.. Clark was
also tolerably confident of this. On
turning the glass on the trapezlum OF
Orion we could distinctly see one star
within the figure above the lower right
hand star. 1t is about as faint an OBJ
iect as can be looh ed at by any glass,
but it was there without doubt, and
has never before been seen, Outside
of the trapezium another faint star
was seen to the right of the upper star
of the constellation. We separated it,
and Alvan Clark expressed the op:nion
that there is also the discovery of a
new star, as it could not have been
separated by any other glass.
..Sirius, the dog star. is such fav-
| orite with astronomers that l should
think you might haye taken a shot at
| it?"
so we did, and I was then most
| struck with the wonderful clearness
/ and great ight-gathering powers of
/ the 36-inch objective. 1t vas mag
nificent sight. The star was not like
point of light as I have before seen
it through other telescopes. In fact
the star proved to be a round disk, as
it has often been Theoretically held to
i be. 1t is a sun like ours, only i'm
mensely larger. Sirius companion
could be distinctly seen with 500-paweF
on the 36-inch glass, while it is doubt-
full il it can be seen and measured by
any other glass in the United States at
the present time. 1t has been getting
closer during the last four years. Its
orbit takes so years to travel, and to
me as an amateur it seems that Sirius
is sun and its companion is small
world like ours. So clear was our
view that even an experienced OBJ
server like Clark could not conceal
his surprise at the wonderful effect. "
How long did you continue Your
obseryationss
..Until o'clock in the Mofniag. II
was most fascinating. / assure yop.
From Sirius we turned to Procyon. II
looked more like star does through
a l2-inch glass Its far-off companion
was clearly discernibie; but its close
companion could not be detected. as
the night was NOT sutiiolently clear.
Aldebaran we also looked at, and il
was a grand sight"
what interested you most?"
nWell, the grandest sight of all to
, me was tbs moon. 1t was brought
, within $50 miles of the earth, and we
could see the craters. eanons. fQViHss,
rocks and valleys with the greatest
distinctness, just as though they were
on a checker-board. There was alb
solutely no sign of life-nothing but
barren white waste, everything desc
late"
Mr.. Fraser rose and pacaa the room
as though he would recall the sight ilf
had witnessed. After he had con
tinued his thoughtful march for some
time he was interrupted with the
query:
"What powers did you uses"
Gall the objects we looked st we
used powers of from 500 to 1000. ae.
cording to the clearness of the sky.
The Lick objective, how ever. will
stand power of $500, and the won.
ders will then be watched for by the
scientific world. while | SHOULD think
no educated layman could fail to be
keenly. interested in the results OBJ
tained."
'.Then your opinion of the powers oi
the glass is good.
.Unqualitiedly so. 1t is not only
the best and largest in the world. bpt
In point of actual workmanship con
sidered-that is, in the light of me-
chanical perfection--it is far superior
to any other in the world. The glass
itself is superior. 1t has double tbs
capacity of the Washington glass, and
in point of location has many adyan
tages over the great Russian tele
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