New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-09-02
THE LICK OBSERVATORY.
ITS WORK SO FAR DESCRIBED BY THE d.
RECTOR PROFESSOR HOLDEN
some INTERESTING OBSERVATIONS OF THU
MooN-THE canals" ON MARS AND

MooN-THE canals" ON MARS AND
THE MISSING CONTINENT" L1BYA
Mount Hamilton. Aug 2l-Thc Lick Obscrva-
tory has been officially completed fer some
thing like eleven weeks. but the first SIX Of these
were hardly available for regular observations
There were many changes 20 make in the pre-
liminary arrangements in order to turn the OBJ
scrvatory from mere collection Of buildings and
instruments into busy laboratory of work We
are even yet far from the last and highest state
Of efficiency. but. least. our work is going on
with full activity. and see the way out of every
difficulty yet remaining. The testing Of the great
Photographic lens of thirty three inches aperture is
now in progress, and during the present lunation
we have secured some exquisite pictures Of the
moon several having been taken every night for
all the nights clear in this astronomers para
disc.
These pictures are to form the first chapter, as
IL were Of n work on the moon. which seems to
be admirably well worth doing in a systematic
manner. As soon we have completed the
engagements for charging the Photographic
pictures in the telescope itself. shall proceed
TO study special regions and orators in detail by
photOgraphing them also every night. under all
conditions of illumination. and enlarged about
five 10 seven times These enlarged pictures will
give the cratcrS scale Of about twenty-five
10 thrty-fve inches TO the moons diameter: and
they will bear q second enlargemsnt in the camera
Of perhaps two three times more. that finally
expect to be able TO have photographs of GER
tain regions Of the moon on a scale of fifty or
more inches to the diameter. These ought to
present really important testimony in regard to
the vcxcd questions of changes On the moon sur
face and as to whether or no We have TO regard
the surface Of our satellite as simply dead; since
life is nothing but change.
1t is rather the fashion among many practical
astronomers TO slight observations Of the moon as
if nothing more was TO be learned by such work.
But think that all Of Us have learned one lesson
already in our use Of tho large telescope and that
is look at every celestial object with free and
open mind just as if were seeing It for the
first time. There is a kind of prof ssonal non
chaance which will not do here. unless we are
willing to miss some golden opportunities have
always admired the spirit Of the section in Maellers
Kurzgcfassto-Be dos Mondcs7 where
he treats Of the rather dangerous question Of the
inhabitants Of tie moon lie is not afraid 10 in
clude such a subject IN a strictly scientific work
and yet he treats it in a disnfed and scientific
manner As this work is probably unknown to
many Of your readers. l venture to translate the
section in question which viii be interesting from
a literary as well as from a scientific point OF
view:
only with reluctance DO touch upon SECOND So,
that would deny the great importance Of The subject
that an answer good for all future time would De
Of he careless way in which il has usually been treated
in the pact has fallen into di.creii Win -o1' VINO
earnestly On in truly So cuuhc silil nave
discovered nothing certain iu this ailci-as Htile A
others before can entertain ~ hope o. success
in the future. and oanno' prevail upon my scI 70
consider many uncertain. and % all lr'.,,l,y n.rH
for wise and noble purposes Is thought "hicA nccc,-
sary force, itself upon ON cou-cioGsur>,. Astlh'
that which whout life. 80 everywhere Nn'n HE Is a
possibility We are ieally 10 assume its presence In
rhaf las gone before everything that las loon sad
about ihc moon puyes, IL Is nue. mat nel'fr We
nor any living creature On our carih, could I'VE on
the lunar globe. h'r it ~ no means does away Win
the poss biy Of all and every form Of lie upon The
But much that Is Indispensable MS inaccessible
w h d', name am NAV be- iansabIc to the uhab-
tants Of the moon. Their organs Of sight must -
endure greater contrasts of light and darkness without
injury Just a. liitle can ihcf notion, core rgng
and nights ar, arranged how iae- ARMAMENT appears
to item has ALREADY been stated in detail An this,
however. IS insuhcient 10 give G' NOR tGa A., an
etc. and + Will remain lust as Impossible 10 see as
10 reach them. even ihe idea OF corr rout.4nE .l.
Dot be wholly nEsofjl would seem 10 bee Just as FAR
from realzaiion; worms liiai WOW" ~ - tioi II, yU
always remain doubtful matter correctly 10 under
stand ina, whci ia this respect oar telescopes hlsHt
viewed in this light our hopes as 70 better knowledge
and tend ,e satisfy lhe inpatient Hasaaon of Of
object OF our investigation of ne heavens is by no
means De looked for i- This ClGecioN Win lfiri-
ence 10 the moon particular. thee are questions TO
be answered which are Of totally different and, IN
fact. OF mucA uo.c iMuort ann nature. 10" was /
The moon created he oeEaaus What hn .a,,1s
alawys f. Is nov. ~ not hoy dd ii.,e mo. .9s
So In vsist wazs can 81, noon influence te F
hoWni ana f WA 9o a Soi v va nay In all Prob
ability expect Information in the future. ana VII. R
ID q
~ he n6oa ami 81. relation 20 lie earth han could
be obtained from living sclcnite, If We We're able to
lay hands OH him.
We are extremely fortunate in having in our
CORPS Of astronomers two who are photographers OF
distnction-Mr Burnham and Mr.. Barnard. To-
rether they constitute a most efficient working
force and have already obtained results Of real
value Among the interesting things which have
been done in This direction Is Mr. Barnards dis
coverv that the l2-inch Clark equatorial which
was designed only for visual work is in fact also
most efficient Photographic telescope. MI
barnard has succeeded IN making capital pictures
OF the moon. Of the Plcadcs Of the cluster IN
Perseus, OF double stars, Of Jupiter. etc. by us
use. and we find the star images to be excellent
over at least one degree. We have not tried more
Nd 10 now To utilize fully this instrument
more powerful driving clock is needed and one
Of our problems of to-day is how 10 get such an
addition. We find it misfortune TO have the
observatory rcputcd 10 be c0mrleted,' and would
prefer il 10 be regarded as Yet incomplete until
we have tested It's capabilities in every direction.
Legal terms often stand in tie way of rapid pro-
grcss.
Perhaps tie most generally interesting work Of
the large telescope has been done on The planet
Mars. 1t viii be in the memory Of all that Pro
fcssor Schapareh Of Milan. has devoted much
I me 10 minute study Of the surface features Of
this planet, and that lately he has reported a very
interesting and novel phenomenon, namely the
duplication Of the canals on Mars Canals
j, a very unfortunate word, for the markings, so
called may not be water at all and, at any
-. IT,. 10 hrnal h.ar any AnnlnGE u