The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-09-30

seen IN any CELESTIAL object with small
instruments, moro can be seen with larger
ones.
What then may we expect from the
splendid telescopes which have been made
during the last quarter of century, or per-
haps should put the popular feeling re-
speeding them more correctly If were to
say that the question really is: Why has
50 little been learned by their means COM
pared with what had been expecteda-nay
compared with what astronomers had
| seemet definitely to promise from their use.
Until the middle of the present century few
| large telescopes were constructed which
were not at once employed in making
noteworthy discoveries Later, however,
scarce enc in twenty of the great tele-
| scopes has done work in which any but the
| salarled astronomers employed to take
charge of them can pretend to takethe least
interest.
1t is in the first place said, in reply to
these natural doubts, that much of the work
OF public obseryatories is such as the gen
eral public neither cares for nor can be ex-
pected to understand. The exact observa-
tons by which tile character of the heavens
as gigantic dial plate for determining
time, longitude, latitude and 50 forth, must be
carefully carried out in the first place, since
| 1t is for such work that the great national
observatories were primarily founded. This
is perfectly just, though it is the case that
even such observatories as these have in
| fact been pushed far beyond the require
ments OF commerce and navigation, inso-
much that the observers III some OF the
great national observatories of the world
are apt to smile somewhat as the augurs of
old time must have done) when they hear it
said that on their observations the safety of
ocean travelling depends. All that is neces-
sary to keep nautical almanacs perfect guides
for seamen might be done at one hundredth
of the expense betrayed upon the great
| national observator1es of the world. But
astronomers know that though so far as
their primary object is concerned national
obSer gatories have been considerably over
done, yet most valuable astronomical re-
searches are conducted at Greenwich and
Washington, Vienna, and Paris, at Dublin,
Cape Town. and Melbourne, we are unwilling
to acknowledge what we know to be really
the case, that these great obSeryatories are
maintained to some degree under false
pretences-Since neither parliament nor
congress, neither imperial nor royal rulers
care enough about the satellites of Mars, or
spectroscopic observations of the sun, to
provide the annual expenses of great observ-
atOries to be employed on such researches.
By a convenient fiction these observatories
are supposed to be maintained in the inter
ests of commerce; luckily, if they are much
less needed for that purpose than is sup
posed, they have other uses. And in particu
lar they are supplied with powerful tele-
scopes, practic lily useless so far as naviga-
ton is concerned (being equatoriaily not
meridianally mounted, but very good for
observing sun, moon, planets and stars, for
physical details. And enough observers are
provided to keep those fine instruments well
in use. Sturdy old Airy would scarcely
let any of his staff use the Greenwich equa-
torial till the last few years of his long adj
ministration, when he weakened little on
that point)
do not know any sufficient reason, how
ever, for the comparative failure of all the
great telescopes III national observatSries.
The observers have better opportunities
then others for doing original work, aud
ample time. Yet somehow very few dis
coveries of interest have been made at
national oDservatories. Occasionally when
interesting observations have been made
else where, the head of national observatory
will condescend to let some of his staff use
the large telescope in the same work, or even
turn his own attention to the matter. But
cases of the kind are few and far between.
(At time when every astronomer worthy
the name was interested in SignOr Scala
perelli's observations of Mars Prof. New
combs Popular AS ronony appeared with
an absolutely valueless picture of Mars,
drawn by Prof. E. S. Holden with toe great
26-inch refractor. The same splendid tele-
scope, however, supplied one of the ex-
ceptional cases | have described, when
Prof. Asaph Hall, a genuine astronomer,
searched for Marian satellites and discov-
cred the two now KNOWN
The case is somewhat similar with the
fine telescopes set up at many colleges and
universities. These have certainly disap
pointed the reasonable expectations Of as
tronomers. 1t cannot be altogether the
fault of the observ ers. Indeed in some ca,es
observers who have already done good
work with smaller Instruments have been
appointed to control these larger instru-
ments whose work has been thus disappoint-
ing In soEe cases, doubtless, the failure Of
large telescopes has been due to the selection
of unfit directors; men being put in COM
mand of fac instruments who have either
already failed previously in similar posi-
tions, or who are known to be without any
real zeal in the cause of astronomy. (Oae
of these recently broug in bill for $1,000
'for services rendered. before the observa-
tory to which he had been appointed chief
was at work. These services, consisting Of
few journeys-expenses free-and letters
with suggestions in regard to the instrument
for experimenting the work of which this
person was to receive high salary, the
time thus employed not being in reality his
own, but belonging to university paying
also most handsome salary. As a rule,
however, we must not aUCrlDuCe the Iallure
of the observatories either to inadequate
observing skill or to insufficient zeaL)
To find the real reason why the large tele-
scopes have not done what they might have
been expected to do, We must consider what
they have been employed in doing. We
find that almost without an exception.
instead of continuing the work which smaller
telescopes have begun, they have been en-
ployed in other work, suitable indeed to
their great powers so far as difficulty is
concerned, but of no original interest what
soeyer. By sort of affectation, of which
they are half unconscious, the managers of
these large telescopes are led to devote their
work rather to what only large telescopes
can do than what is really well worth doing.
A telescope of moderate power will show
details on "a planet, a large telescope will
show these details better, or will show more
details: but these observers will not direct its
mowers TO such work for a comparatively
small telescope armed with spectrosoope
will disclose most interesting facts respect
ing the structure of the sun, the nature of
his marvellous surroundings, and so forth; a
larger one would be able 70 confirm and
extend these discoveries, showing more
details ard indicating the real nature OF
phenomena before perhaps but partially
understood: but the observer who had dis
tinguished himself and delighted contem-
norary astronomers In his work with
smaller instrument will not turn the more
nowerful telescope placed at his disposal for
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