The morning call., 1891-03-07


rBeIng an enlargement of the nebula shown near
the center OF the preceding llustration.l
Alter describing The peculiarIies OF Algol, the
variable star In Perseus: SIjca. with It's dark
companion, Vega and other remarkable celes-
tial bodies. the lee uIer spoke of MIR. keelers
discoveries with the speciroseOpe at Mount
Hamilton. This gentleman has made special
study OF the nebuise, aud discovered that many
OF them moved with great iapidity-a matter
never before satisfactorily determined. The diff
nculiy 10 the way n Ose from the TACT that the
PRINCIPLES of nebuar line had no counterpart In
any known substance, and therefore there was
no assured normal condition OF line for cOmpafi-
sun with It's position In The sprctra Of the differ
ent nebusB. The ingenious idea occurred to MIR.
keeier that " he would m ASSURE the position OF
tins iiue In number OF nebul;p. as some APP
preached and others receded, and take The
mean OF a great number he would obtain nor
NAL position OF the line TO which he could refer
The nj aSures of It's position In the spectia OF any
OF the nebula. In ihis way he discovered that
many OF the nebulB had velocity rs great as
some OF the stars-a discovery OF great value TO
science.
Saturn was next referred to, hIs rings de-
scrlbed and the peculiarliies of the "crape" ring
EXPLAINED. The passage Of JOpelns. one OF the
satellites, into this Grape RUG, on November /,
1889, was ob'erved nom Mount hamilton
through the 12inch telescope. and settled forever
The question OF the rings transparency for the
star diminished gradually as II entered and nm
ally disappeared from view The eclluse also
established the fact that the Grape ring increases
in density as 1t approaches the bright Tiug>. and
that they are all composed OF minute bodies re-,
to be separately visible.
The moon was next discussed by The eloquent
lecturer, and its mountains. valleys, seas and
craters wildly described. But, noIwitbsraDd-
ing tie advances made by science In the past
two centuries, said the professor. the world
knows as little of this dead world To-day as it
did In the beginning OF the seventeenth century.
In 1889 one OF The most remarkable comets
ever observed visited the sun. IL is known as
Comet D OF mat year, and was discovered by MIR.
Brooks of New YORK. In August, 1889. four re-
markabe satellite comets were discovered al the
Lick Observatory. attending the main comet In
lis motion through space. These small compan-
ions remained visible for several months, and
gave astronomers one OF the most interesting and
important problems they ever had 10 deal with.
Mr.. Chandler OF Cambridge, Mass has lately
thoroughly investigated The phenomena OF this
remarkable comet system, and has concluded
that the small companions were detached from
the main comet by the attraction OF Tie fourth
1886.
The Lick telescope has proved its wonderful
power by following comets 10 previously un-
heafd OF distances. one of these faint comets
was followed distance OF coo, 100000 miles or
lOO.OOO,OO0 miles beyond The planet Jupiter.
During the past year The different comets were
Kept In view longer than ever known before.
breaking the record for duration OF visibility OF