The sun., 1890-03-30
PHoToGRAPHISa THE SOUTHERN
HEAVENS.


, from the United States Minister in Santiago
/. 1t NAV be remembered that the first really i'm
portant observations OF the Southern heaveni
> were made in the years 1851, 1852, and 1858 b!
!. the American astronomer Prof. GILES, who
has recorded tho results OF his studies In
work that has remained one Of standard refer
ence. At tho suggestion OF Mr.. Milton Cpdc
graf, also an American. and now assistant
astronomer in tho observatory Of Cordoba
argentine Republic), our Minister, Mr.. ERan
has made inquiries as TO the exact spot on tho
hill OF Santa Lucia, In Santiago, whore Prof
Giles placed his Instruments. The researches
have been all tho more difficult rs the old plans
OF the city were burned up some years ago in a
| lre Nevertheless. other conclusive evidence
has been found, and q commemorative tablet
to the glory OF tho American astronomer will
shortly be placed on the spot where he worked.
1t need scarcely be added that in order TO
verify Prof. Gilles's observations 1t is Of eX-
treme importance that the exact position occu-
pied BY the instruments should be known:
ATACAMA DESERT. PAMPA CENTRAL, Chill,
Hon. Patrick Eg1n Earoy rrtrao|Iniarg dHd mus
DEAR sin: When had the pleasure OF meet
Ing you in Santiago some weeks ago you re-
both our Government and tho Government Of
Chilli some particulars OF the work upon which
We are engaged. which do with pleasure;
The ASTRONOMICAL expedition of which my
brother s. l. Bailey. VI. A., has charge. and in
which have tho honor to occupy the position
College Astronomical Observatory. Cambridge
| I. 5. A.. noar,y ono year ago. and has since
been doing very important work. ilrst in Peru
The following is u synopsis OF the movements
| OF the expedition so far and the proposed plan
oil work TO ho carried out: The observations ut
the observatory in Cambridge are limited
WORK is conductoi as lar south as so. For the
purpose Of taxing observations of the sky from
equator was rSTuisjtr., Accordingly. under tho
direction OF Prof l.. c. Pickering, director of
the observatory, Plans were tohnis lnd during the
somewhere in Peru. In February 1889. the
expedition referred to was sent out. The OK
! perence OF observers OF tho Harvard College
| staf.statOucd previously for Nperimental pur-
poses at Wilson's Peak. in southern California,
| Identified with the college, have shown that
stations at some elevation above the sea along
| the Pacific coast are extremely favorable Tor
| astronomical work in respect to trans parency
| OF atmosphere and clear weather for long pe-
Accordingly. after spending somo weeks in
looking over the, country, the SUNNI; Of
mountain $3.50 feet high. eight miles to the
north from Chosica. Peru, and twenty SIX miles
inland from Lima, was selected It was high
enough to be ALWAYS from one to three thou
enough from tho interior TO escape It's rains.
Two portable buildings were, brought from the
United States and three other small houses
were built on tho mountain for the assistants
and servants.
Inc instruments LOT observation are II pFOIO-
graphic telescope of eight inches aperture, the
meridian photometer. u siN-i inch field glass.
various meteorological and other instruments;
The mnuntain summit selected was named
Mount Harvard and obseryations were begun
there the first of last May During the sue
cceding four months over 1900 plates were
made with the photographs telescope Tho
plan is to cover the entire sky from l5' to he
South Pole tour times-once with photographs
OF spectra having an exposure of an hour
which will include stars to about the eighth
magnitude: secondly. wi tn an exposure OF ten
minutes giving tho brighter stars: thtruly,
with charts having an exposure OF an hour,
permitting man OF me ~, S"uimetn Stars TO me
with charts having an eXposure OF ten min
utes ncuuing stars 10 the tenth magnitude.
The meridian photomeIer is double
telescope Instrument especially constructed to
make n more accurate measurement @; tho
mtt"mptsd faI for the the southern i m heavens. over
10000 such measures for brightness were
months. During last September and October
the sky was found to he so cloudy that early in !
staton at Mount MrvsrG in charge of the
second assistant. while he and visited differ
ont points along the coast south for the pur-
formation. We visited ArelulGa, Puno, La
Pa2. lqui1uc, Antoagasta. Caldera. Copiapo.
places that were OF interest for our work. The |
main object OF this search was TO find the loca- |
zon and easy Of access from the coast by rail- |
way We finally located on, Jan. . Of tho |
ma Desert, 1856 X kllometres from Antoiagasta,
and at an elevation 1882 metres. where We
phoiometer which was Sent rom Peru as soon
as the location was selected. OF tho succeei-
ing nTs % have been
is doubtful if there is a clearer, SKY In
Chill or even in south America. Through
the courtesy Of Sehor Santiago TohIhummer
and other officials of the 'Campahia DO Snli-
talned at the 'Ohcina" by Sonores Perez and
Reyes. and have received every attention and
interest. Tho wonderfully clear sky greatly
facilitates rapid work. In four nights wa
have measured the mhgntudee OF $50 stars
tral. Ate: that date We will return to Peru.
and the work viii be continued at Mount Har-
next spring. whom II - not unlikely that the
entire station may be- moved south to some To-
mer. possibly TO Aropuipa ,r Tampa Central.
whcro the average OF coultPss sky through
the year seems 10 TO much larger than at
Harvard College is over, two hundred and
many College, Of first distinctions anu ad.
yanced courses OF instruction In the United
frs and INC fo nS mon G3nrs ' iE S"Ss o on
large endowment lund for thn, support OF pro-
iessoirsnipsi &c. Meanwhilo the funds a. com
present ono are limited and the eYpens"S uf
1his oTtpost arc Ijorsyly deiraysd Wy Mrs;
as Il memorial to her late husbani. the bal
qnce coming from II bepuest called tho " Boy
utL luIll. MUCH ol luS private endowment
and budin funds have come In tho same
way. voluntary beIuests by, persons, who are
lni crested enough in the public good to give
large sums for the Advancement OF science aud
education. one such instance Is that OF Miss
six months ngo Gavo tity thousand dollars
gold for tho construction Of Il new photo
graphic telescope OF twenty -four inches aper-
lure to take tho place OF tho ono now being
used. Tho present Plates lnve TO be enlarged
three times Tor The maps, tho results re.
sembinG in scale and size tho charts OF
Peters * CharcOnHc. With tho Bruce telescope !
the same result viii be attained in the
original photographs without enlargement. ,
The famous telescope constructors, Alvan
Clark 4 sons aro at WORK on this instrument.
which will doubtless be sent South after pho.
.ographng the northern sky. Its principal
nso will probably be for tho study OF the distri:
Oution OF the stars ior Gomtlele caIaoyues OF
spectra Of lai4t stars. It Is TO be Of the Kind
known rs u Photographic dOubet the same as
he "ieht-inch now being worked Mt Mount
harvard, which made 1880 photographs at {
cambridge Of the northern stars before being
sent to Peru. An exposure OF an hour with !
his eight-inch telescope photographs twice az I
mn atu rS IA al oh nm ,hGar