The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-09-05
THE MARCH OF TELEscoPY.

We received by telegraph in due course
the point of NJ Camille Flammarion's re-
cent letter TO the New York Herald on the
subject of the progress OF telescopy. But
the letter itself, which is now TO hand. con-
taus interesting matter which was not
Transmitted by wire.
The science Of astronomy was revolution
lied by the construction of three great teles-
c0pes. all of hich were begun in 1886 The
Location and dimensions of these instru-
ments are as follows
Location opeping distance
: Observatory OF foulkowa, .. , .o..o.
Nouns, SSSf'i namioa inches inches 4s f feet
A lens is now in course of construction
for the observatory on Mount Wilson in
Southern California which will measure
forty inches in the clear across the opening.
It's power will thus be One-ninth greater
than that of the lens in the Mount Hamil-
ton telescope. IL is constructed according
to the modern laws of optics, and is really
two lenses, one of flint, the other of crown
glass, juxtaposed, mutually completing
each other and producing as perfect achro-
matiSm as possible. 1t is hoped that il will
do for modern astronomy what Lord ROSES
telescope did for the science thirty years ago.
Many astronomers have he'd that further
increase in maguifying lower would lead to
such diffusion of the ray OF light that OBJ
jects would cease to be discernible. This
does not seem to be feared by NJ. Flam-
marion. He writes as though he believed
that We might 90 on increasing the size of
lenses and their magGifying power indef-
nitely and that there is no more difficulty
in handling 40-inch lens now than there
was in taking observations with 36-inch
lens two years ago. He ought to know.
The only real difficulty in the case is to
manufacture a lens of such proportions
without flaw or accident. There are only
few men in the world who possess the skill
necessary for such an achievement, and it
takes them years to polish the lens.
If the eminent Fienchman is right, it is
mere matter of time when the vexed prob
lem-whether the planets are inhabited-is
going to be solved. NJ Flammarion has DO
hesitation in confirming the statements of
his confrere, Signor Sthiaparelli of Milan.
He believes we can see in Mars continents,
seas, coasts, capes, bays, rivers, waters,
SHOWS, clouds and the yicissitudes Of the
seasons. He even goes so far as to con-
lecture that certain brilliant points which
are observed on the surface of the planet
may be signals from the Marian people to
this globe. And with due reserve he hints
at the inference that the people of that
world are more advanced in science than
we are. Such flight of conjecture is abso-
lutely bewildering.
1t Will naturally have the effect of popu-
larizlng the study of astronomy, and that
will not be a bad thing. But students who
seek to penetrate the dark recesSes of the
heavenly universe must bear one thing in
mind. To use a telescope of the size of the
instruments we have been describing re-
aGires special education of the eye. Ladies
and gentlemen who visit Mount Hamilton
often return discouraged. saying that they
could see nothing through the big telescope.
OF course not. They did net know how to
read The field. A modern student of as
tronOny must spend many months of toll
some watchfulness before his eye is trained
TO detect the faint points OF light which to
the practieed observer mean stars, and plan
cts and com cts The star-gaZer of the street
who pays his 10 cents for peep at Jupiter
and his moons through common telescope
finds no difficulty in seeing the planet in all
his glory, but 1t is an altogether different
thing 20 detect on the dim globe of Mars the
canals which puzzle science, or even to dis
tinguish the lunar volcanoes from the gloomy
cayerns which surround them. III ever we
establish a speaking acquaintance with our
planetary neighbors, practical astronomy
Will he taught at college, and the use Of the
telescope will take rank in The schools with
the use If the globe But that will not
come about for long time vet.