Wichita eagle., 1890-03-02

| considerations, has thus Slgnaity honored anC
rewarded his fellow laborer in the field o.
science The engfavings of lunar animals anc
| other objects, and Of the phases Of the severa
planets, are accurate copies of drawings taker
in the observatory by Herbert Home, ESQ.
who accompanied the Lass powerful series Of
refectors from London to the Cape, and SUI
perintended their erection; and he has thu!
recorded the proofs of their triumphant sue
| cess.
THE WONDERFUL TELESCOPE.
1t is well known that the great rejecting
telescope OF the late elder Herschel. with an
object glass four feet in diameter, and tubs
forty feet in length, possesses Eaagnifyine
power OF more than SIX thousand times Blu,
small portion of this power was ever ad.
vantageously applied to the nearer astro
nomical objects; for the deficiency of light
from objects so highly magnifed rendered
them less distinct than when viewed with 9
power Of a third or fourth OF this extent.
Accordingly the powers which he generally
applied when observing the moon or planets,
and with which he made his most interesting
discoveries, ranged from 20 TO AGO, $50 and 600
times; although, when inspecting the double
and treble fixed stars, and the more distant
nebulae, he frequently applied the full capac-
lily Of his instrument. The law OF optics, that
an object becomes dim in proportion as it is
magnlfied, seemed, from its exemplfcation
IN this powerful telescope, to form an in
superable boundary to further discoveries in
our solar system. Several years, however,
prior TO the death OF this venerable astron-
orner, he conceived it practicable TO con-
struct an improved series of parabolic and
spherical rehectors, which, by uniting all the
meritoriouS points in the Gregorian and
Newtoniau instruments, with the highly in
teresting achromatic discovery of Dolland,
would, to a great degree, remove the forIni-
dable obstruction. his plan evnced the most
profound research in optical science, and the
most dexterous ingenuity in mechanical con-
trivance; but accommodating infirmities, and
eventually DEATH prevented its experimental
application. His son, the present Sir John
Herschel, who had been cursed and Graded
in the observatory, and a practical astrono-
mer from his boyhood, was SO fully convinced
of the value OF the theory that he determined
upon testing it, at whatever cost. Within
two years Of his fathers death he COM
pieted his new apparatus, and adapted it to
the old telescope with nearly perfect success.
He found that the magnfying power Of &, 600
times, when applied to the moon, which was
the severest criterion that could be selected,
produced, under these new rehectors, Il focal
object of exquisite distinctness, free from
every achrOmatic obscurity, and containing
the highest degree of light which the great
speculun could collect from that luminary.
The distance being 10000 miles and the
magpifying power COCO times, the result is a
simple matter OF division t340, 600 divided by
6,0O0 equals 40; objects on the moon could be
seen as clearly as at forty miles distance on
earth. And here it seemed that nature had
placed an eternal limit Higgins, Fontana,
Gregory, Newton, Dolland and Herschel had
resorted TO every material for the composition
of lenses and refiectors, but in vain. At
length Sir John, in consultation with Sir
David Brewster, suggested that the primary
focal image might be conveyed into a dark
apartment (where no tube would be neces-
sary to shut of the lateral light, and there
received and acted upon by subsidiary re-
ilectors. 1t was an inspirationl
lie next suggested a series of specula to
correct alteration and q final Illuminated
microscope. Sir David sprang from his
chair III an ecstasy of conviction. exclainl-
ing, Thou art the manm His enthusiasm
went so far as TO believe that even the CHI
OF the moon might be studied-the
insects might be seen as they crawled The
Duke OF Sussex, the nlnaiicent patron of sci
ence and the arts, at once contributed 4lG0OO
His majesty tking William 10 asked if the
would aid in the Improvement of
navigation, and being assured that it would.
at once guaranteed from the naval fund the
needed 10000. IAN extremely elaborate
ana scientific report of the construction of
he needed instruments and their transDorta-
ion to the Cape is omitted. Also a full de- |
'crlptlon of the locality, on q plateau, and |
he darkcned chamber In which the focal I
mage was first presented and then remagni- /
led, so to speak. upon an enormous canvas.
At this point The journal deems it neces-
AIRY to clearness to follow the exact state.
nent of Dr. Grant: On the night of Jan. 10. |
lhe moon having advanced within four DAYS /
If her mean Iteration, Sir John adjusted his |
Instruments for the inspection of her eastern !
imb. The whole immense power of his tele- |
cope was applied, and to its focal image |
about one-haf of the power of his microscope. |
On removing the screen Of the latter the field |
II view was covered throughout its entire /
area with a beautifully distinct and even
~ ~ le eSbuidtIOn u DdSdi ROCK. lis /
'olor was a greenish brown and the width of |
he columns as defined by their interstices on
he canvas, vas invariably twenty-eight |
inches. No fracture whatever appeared in
he mass first presented, but in a few seconds |
| shelving pile appeared Of five or six col
INNS width, which showed their figure to be
and their articulatoas similar to
nose OF the basaitic formation at Staffa.
This precipitous shelf was profusely covered
With dark red flower precisely similar to
he Papaver rhCeas, or rose poppy, of our
ublunary corntields; and this was the first
organic production of nature in a foreign
yorld ever revealed to the eyes OF men.
LUNAR MOUNTAINS, WALES AND FORESTS
The r2pidlty of the moons ascension. or
ather of the earth's diurnal rotation being
nearly equal to five hundred yards in o sec
md, would have etfectually prevented the
or even the discovery of objects
o minute IS these, but for the admirable
mechanism which constantly regulates. under !
he guidance OF the seXtant. the required alti-
ude of the lens. But its operation was
oCnd to be so consummately perfect that
ne Observers could detan the object upon
he Iield OF view for any period they might
eSire- The specimen Of lunar vegetation.
owever, which they had already seen, had
ecided question of too exciting an interest
o induce them TO retard its exit. IL had
demonstrated that the moon has an atmos-
here constituted similarly 10 our own, and
ap2ble OF sustaining organized, and there
ore, most probably, animal life The basai
&c rocks continued to pass over the inclined
anvas plane, through three successive diam
tiers, when verdant Geclivity of great
eauty appeared. which occupied two more.
his was preceded by another mass of nearly
ne former height, at the base OF which thew
zero at length delighted 10 perceive that
oveity, q lunar forest. The trees for.
eriod OF ten minutes were OF one UNMARRIED