The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-12-01
THE oBsEKvATOnY's WORK.

At the timetbe great telescope of the Lick
Observatory was mounted, it was generally
believed that an instrument of such power
IN the hands of men of such ability rs
Holden, Schaeberle, Barnard. Keller, and
their associates, would perfect astronomical
discoveries which would attract the at
tention OF the scientific world TO Mount
Hamilton. Unfortunately discoveries cam
not be commanded. They are largely the
result OF chance and luck. Some of the
most important discoveries in astronomy
were made by accident, when the astronomer
was looking for something else. This fact
must be borne in mind in reviewing the
paper in which Professor Holden summed
up the work of the observatory for the past
two years before the Astronomical Society
on Saturday.
We may rs we'll say at once that the OBJ
seryatory has placed no discovery of the
first Importance to its credit. People in this
State wish it were otherwise; but there is
the fact, and disappointing as il may be, it
reflects no discredit on the Mount Hamilton
astronomers. They did their best; but it
has not been their good luck to electrify the
world with any astonishing revelation.
OF minor discoveries they have made sew
eral The observations of the solar corona.
which were made at Cayenne by the expedi-
ton which was fitted out by Colonel
Croker, have enabled astronomers to
predict the shape of the corona, and to ex-
plain the causes of its variations. This is a
decided step in advance, and will serve
materially the pending investigation of the
resistance of the sun. AS to the moon. the
observatory staff have thus far contented
themselves with multiplying their photo
graphs OF its surface in every stage. When
the collection is complete. an answer may
perhaps be given to the question whether
the surface OF the moon is changing. II
probably is; but the progress of disintegra-
tlon cannot be assumed as a fact with our
present knowledge.
The most important discovery of the oh
servatory in regard 10 the stars is the
demonstration OF the motion Of the nebula.
AS everything in the universe is in motion
and nothing ever stands still, it was to be
presumed that the clusters of stars known
as the nebule constituted no exception to
the rule. 1t was left for the Lick Observa-
tory to demonstrate the fact. DR.. Keller
has likewise measul I'd the rate of progress
NJ which some OF the stars are moving. He
hnds, for instance, that ATcturus is APP
preaching the earth at the rate of forty
s miles Der second, or at the rate of three and
nail million miles per day. 1t does not
. appear, however, that the prospect of a
collision IS imminent enough TO Justify
alarm. There is lots Of room in the realms
eff space.
oneof the high hopes which were enter
tanned when the great telescope was set ON
Its foundation was that it would reveal to us
some of the mysteries of our nelghbor, Mars.
The fulfilllDent of these hopes has not vet
been realized. Mars has been more thor
oughly studied by Schiaparelli at Milan
than at Mount Hamilton; at least, the
world has heard more of the discoveries and
the theories OF the Italian astronomer than
of any similar work at our institution. On
some future anniversary Professor Holden
may perhaps repair the deficiency. 1t is
almost certain that the broad bands which
Schiaparelli supposed 10 be canals cannot be
the work of human hands. And yet their