The morning call., 1890-11-30
DISCOVERIES AT
LICK OBSERVATORY.
Professor Holden's Talk Before
the Astronomical Society.
He Tells Of the Wonderful Work During the
Past Two Years With the Best Tel.
escope in the World.

At the meeting of the Astronomical Society
o f the Pacific last night Professor Edward
S. Holden, its President and the Director Of
the Lick Observatory, delivered most in
teresting lecture on the work accom- lished
during the two years that the observatory
has been established.
Before the lecture business meeting was
held, and the following were elected MEM
bers: General John sGibbon, U. S. A.,
Hernia Schussler, L. Gibson, DIR. 4. S.
Clark, Fremont Mouse, j. j. Gilbert, FL.
W. Faust and Lieutenant John p. Finley,
U. S. A., Howard A. Craig and Thomas
Prather of Oakland, Professor Martin
kellogg of Berkeley, L. A. Rockwell and DR..
G. A. Wood of Traver. CAL; w. B. Hayes
of Los Angeles; Maures Horner. Il. r. A.
s., of Somerset, England; NJ. A. Veeder
and NJ. z. Lyons Of New York; G. J. Hicks
OF Staten Island, n. y; M. P. Freeman Of
Tucson, Ariz. G. n. Sagemuller of WASH
ington D. c.. c. f. de Landero Of Guadala-
jara, Mexico; Professor B. G. Clapp Of
Fulton, n. Y; Herr. p. Noordhof Of
Holland. DIR. G. Barrotea of Mexico.
John A. Parkhurst of Morengo. ILL.,; Z. B.
Knobel of England; Hon. Demas Strong of
Brooklyn. N. Y: Dr. J. Mumas Tesor of
Venezuela; James e. Ingraham OF Sanfor,
Fla, W. Andrews Browne of Newton,
Mass; Joseph S. Adam of Canaan, Conn,
and Fl. F. Newall of Cambridge, England.
The society, which is only twenty-five
months old now, has membership of $40.
As preface to his lecture, Professor
Holden explained that since the aslron0-
merS were put in charge of the Lick
Observatory in June, 1888, $4,000 had been
expended in making the establishment
automatically complete.
THE FINEST IN THE WORLD.
eve have the finest telescope in the
world" he continued. 1--WE have tried it
two wears and half and we know it is so.
1t Is superior TO every other telescope, and
more than this, we have the best site in the
world. The stars are steady, and you can
use high magnifying power. We do not
have ihe greatest number of clear days, be-
cause AlgerS is little ahead of us. Hav-
ing the best telescope and the best site, we
have mere responsibilities. AT tine Lick
Observatory there are five astron omers, and
only enough workmen to keep the place in
repairs:
lat Greenwich there are 90 astronomers.
at Paris 80. at Poltaya, Russia, 10, and at
Harvard College Sc. So you see in certain
sense we are not fully equipped. Our five
astronomers are held responsible for more
work than is expected OF twenty or thirty
| men, but they do the best they can. They
should not be held responsible for what is
discovered in other parts of the world when
they are not looking. Solar physics, most
important department, has not been touched
at ALL because we have no one to put at the
work"
Professor Holden told of the work ac-
complished at Mount Hamilton during the
past two years and half. During the
solar eclipse in June. 1889, splendid photo
graphs of the corona were taken as the re-
suit of one visual telescope. The photo
graphs taken by Professors Burnham and
Schaebere werb more perfect and better
than any Others taken in the various parts
of the world to which expeditions We're sent
On the subject of photomeiry the professor
explained the Importance OF knowing the
sensitiveness of the dry plates used in pho
tographing the corona, before exposing
them.
ONE OF TIE GREAT DISCOVERIES.
This is considered one Of the greatest dis
c0yerieS In our knowledge OF the sun III
many years. Professor SChaeberle has a
hypothesis that fully meets anything
known, and he has discovered law govern
ing coronas. This is considered a great
triumph for the Lick Observatory and for
the man who made the discovery.
AS to What was done on the planets, Pro-
fessOr Holden said: =" / spent large part
of last winter in examining certain parts of
the Moon and photographing them: With
our limited force all we can do IS to make
photographs, look them over. and see what
demands immediate study. A pair Of mega
uyeS of each particular phase of the moon
was taken, and these will settle questions
that may be raised subsequently. No
astronomical changes have taken place on
the moons surface, aud our photographs
will show it.
"Of the planet Mars nothing whatever of
inhabitati0n is known. We do not know
whether it is red hot, white hot or solid land
and water. We have been studying Mars
and the first valuable fact to come from our
observations was that there are certain
points higher than Others"
The lecturer then proceeded to show that
these points must be the tops Of mountains.
What has been styled canals by the great
SchaDarelli, the diScOyerer OF markings,
should be called by other names because
these markings are from forty to 100 miles
wide, and are simply shadowy bands with
out any evidences of water.
Since he has been at the Lick Observatory
Professor Barnard has discovered four
comets, making fourteen in all that he has
discovered. 1t is predicted that he Will
soon be able to fellow some comet entirely
around its orbit to show whether there is
resisting medium in ether.
WHAT THE CORPS IS DOING.
Professor Holden said his astronomers
are engaged in discovering something addi-
tional about stars already known, as the
discovery of millions of new stars adds
nothing to astronomical science. Professor
Eurnham, who has charge of the double
star department, has discovered more dou-
BILE stars than any other astr Onomer living.
One of the most important branches at
Mount Hamilton is spectrosc0py, this de-
partment being under the direction of Pro-
lessor Keller. He is specially examining
large number of stars to ascertain their
motion In line of sight. This will deter
mine the earth's motion in space and the
motion and tie direction of the stars, their
speed, etc Some of the stars have already
been found to have velocity of seventy
miles a second. A: Greenwich this work
has not been so successfully carried out,
owing to inferior instruments and other
causes.
At Mount Hamilton the new work is
proved by the observations of stars about
whose movements all is known. Recently
question of spectroscopy was referred to
Professor Keller by the great English spec
troscopists, Higgins and Lockyer. While
engaged in the work he unexpectedly dis
covered that the nebul9 were themselves
moving in the line of sight. This discover,
has produced wide discussion throughout
the world.
In concluding. Professor Holden alluded
to the work laid out for the future on the
general nebulosty of the sky. A great deal
of work is being done on the milky way.
Professor Barnard will make series of