Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-19

starr, according TO the plan agreed upon q the
International convention of astronomers at
Paris, some years ago. work too laborious
By the old methods, but to be finished in about
ten years by photography. By the same
methods the sunspots are now recorded daily
in few minutes and starspectra are obtained
permanently, some hundreds on one plate
Harvard college, under the direction of Prof.
Pickering, stands now at the head Of the whole
scientific world in this branch, q regards in
struments, means, and skill"
WIDER FIELDS OF INVESTIGATION.
'sThese valuable adjuncts to investigation
said the reporter. shave, of course, greatly
widened the field of operations. and the new
astronomy must promise greater and more
Eyes, indeed said Father Hagan. ssthe new
ASTRONOMY Is 30 vast, and has so many ramify-
ing and ever widening divisions, that it exceeds,
a. whole, both the scope and the means of
the smaller observatories. Even the greatest
establishments, such as Pulkowa, Paris, Har-
ward, &C., md themselves obliged to limit their
work to one, or few, particular lines of OBJ
servation and investigation, leaving the re-
m ma OF the held to other workers: proba-
bly, the wisest course for observatories at
tached to educational institutions is to aim, in
the first place, at giving to their students
general but exact outline of the ever-progress-
ing science. Whatever of means and time re-
mains above this should be devoted to some
work, suited to the equipment and circum-
stances OF the observatory. Many such lines
are already mapped out. In some of them,
even the smallest observatories can do valuable
work, which fills the gaps left by more ambi-
tious observers, and materially helps ON the pro-
gress of science"
THE COURSE TO BE PURSUED.
'sWhat particular line, il any, have you
marked out for the prosecution here, Father
Hagan2"
II am not yet prepared to say definitely what
particular field Of work shall choose for our
observatory, though have pretty well settled
upon 1t in my own mind. For the next few
weeks shall devote myself to renovating the
Observatory in all its departments, 20 as to be
prepared for general work of all kinds, and in
especial to the introduction of electrical appli-
ances In their most perfect form, 30 as to facil-
tate observations and render them as absolutely
accurate as it is possible in the present
state Of our science for them to be.
In the meantime the instruments in the OBJ
seryatory are being thoroughly overhauled and
are being put in frst-class condition. The OBJ
servatory is to be connected with the National
observatory by means Of the Western Union
wires. and by this means the directors will be
enabled to obtain absolutely correct time for
the regulation of the astronomical clocks.
new chronograph has been ordered from Paris
at a cost of several hundred dollars, and other
instruments will be obtained as needed. In all
this activity in regard to the observatory none
takes deeper interest than the venerable Father
Curley, its founder. DR.. Hall, of the naval
observatory, recently paid visit to the col
lege and expressed himself as gratified that
astronomical work was to be resumed at the
college, ashe declared its observatory possessed
the means Of securing excellent and valuable
results in astronomy. Under the direction of
Father Hagan. with the support and encour-
agement Of President Richards, Georgetown
observatory will soon resume its old place in
astronomical investigation, and become an
authority in the scientific world.