The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-11

tellite has created Here was this system
| which everyone knew. which had occupied
| so much attention. and now we are told On
| the best authority that there is something
| to be seen in il which has eluded all
/ the eyes that ever looked at il before.
| This is indeed r surprise. Those who
/ have good telescopes Will think on the
| fortune which might conceiyably have
| smiled on them, II perchance the satellite
| had presented itself on one of
| those rare occasions when it may
/ come within the reach of lnStru-
| nlents less powerful than that by
| which it was actually discovered. The
| mathematical astronomers TO whom the
| problem Of Jupiter has ever been an at
tractive though a very difficult subject
/ will lind that the new satellite imparts an
| entirely fresh aspect 10 the question. 1t
| will now. doubtless. be attacked again with
! a quickened interest. and it Is certain that
| the movements OF the newly discovered
| BODY will suggest considerations of great
| theoretical importance. 1t is even quite
| possible that ITS detection may have the
/ effect OF removing some of the difficulties
| that have hitherto been experienced in the
! attempts to interpret the movements OF
/ the four older bodies.
| At present the information to hand with
reference 10 the circumstances under which
the new satellite was discovered are some
! what scanty, but the last reports are
enough to remove any doubts that might
| have been previously entertained. The
| Lick observatory has already become
| famous from the numerous valuable OBJ
/ seryations which have been made with
| IN the last few years. We certainly
/ mean no disparagement to its previous
/ achievements when We say that they have
been altogether cast into the shade by the
! announcement of the last discovery which
| has been made on the summit of Mount
| Hamilton. We fully appreciate the splen-
| did series of doublestar discoveries by
| Burnham. We recognize the value of
| the observations of Mars, of the
| beautiful lunar photographs, OF the
| admirable and instructive spectroscopic
/ work of Keller, but from henceforth it
| would seem that the Lick telescope must
! be chiefly remembered. not for these ad-
! mirabIe iabors but as the instrument with
| which JupIter's fifth moon has been found.
! In this respect the Lick telescope may be
! compared with another celebrated instru-
rnent of America, the great Washington
refractor. Doubtless much excellent work
| has been done by this latter instrument,
/ besides that achievement by which its
! name will be specially handed down. 1t was
| with this superb glass at Washington that
| Prof. Asaph Hall discovered the two sat-
! elites of Mars in 1877. This at once
raised the name Of Hall to high rank in
| the list of famous astronomical discoy-
| erers. Now We have a triumph of the
same high order won with the Lick tele-
| scope. This entities the name of Barnard
! to be inscribed on the same select roll as
| that which contains the name of Asaph
| Hall. On such occasions astronomers of
! all countries freely offer their hearty con-
| gratulations to those who pursue their
| science in America. In no other country
| can there be found such lavish and
| splendid endowment of astronomical OBJ
| servatories. Nowhere else is there such
| abundant provision for the carrying on of
| astronomical work of all kinds. 1t were fit
| ting that the rewards should go to the
| credit of the country which has done most
| to earn them. There is no civilized nation
| whose inhabitants would not have expert
| enced thrill of pride if such an achieve
| ment as the discovery of the two moons or
| Mars or of the fifth satellite of Jupiter
| had been made within its borders by
/ one of its own people. AS it happens,
| both these distinctions belong to America,
| and those VINO are fully acquainted with
! the matter know how valiantly the Ameri-
| can astronomers have struggled with their
difficulties and how triumphantly they
| have overcome them. Nor should it be for
| gotten in this connection that the great
| Lick telescope, as well as the Washing
ton telescope, are both of American
| manufacture. They are the products of
| the consummate optical skill of Messrs.
| Alvan Clark. of Massachusetts. Those
| who provided these grand instruments,
| those who made them. those who used
| them, and the nation which owns them,
are all to be sincerely congratulated on
| the splendid results of their joint efforts.
| The orbit of Jupiter SO nearly resembles
/ a circle that the distance from the earth
| to the planet does not greatly alter. Ac-
| cordingly there is not much variation in
| the distance from the earth to the planet
at one opposition and another. 1t does so
| happen that in the opposition through
which Jupiter is now passing, the actual
! distance which is attained Is almost the
smallest possible. Even that. however, is
| nearly four times as great as the distance
| from the earth to the sun. In the case of
| Jupiter the most important question, 50
| far as the advantages for observation are
| concerned. is the season of the year when
| the opposition takes place. For observa-
! tons OF planet it is specially desirable to
have the body as high as possible in the
| heavens. The atmospheric difficulties,
| which are always so embarrassing to the
| astronomer. are lessened with every in
crease of the altitude. This consideration
| will show how it is that the present
| time offers exceptionally favorable ad-
| vantages for the observation of
| Jupiter. As the great planets move in
planes which are nearly coincident with
! the ecliptic, 1t follows that the best time
| Tor observing the planet will be during the
! winter season. Of course, the most suita-
bic moment. so far as altitude is con-
| cerned, would be when the opposition took
| place on midwinter day, while the lowest
| altitude would be reached in an opposition
| on midsummer day. At present the oppo-
sition of Jupiter takes place in the middle
| of October, that Is still, no doubt, some
weeks from the time that would be on the
| whole most convenient but the difference
| does not amount 10 much, as a glance at
| the globe will show. On all these grounds
| the present opposition of Jupiter is an
| emnently favorable one. SO far as the OBJ
servers OF the planet who dwell III north
| ern ATTITUDES are concerned. But even
| before the great globe has reached the po-
| sItion which Is most advantageous for the
purpose OF observing il, the achievement
! ut the Lick observatory is recorded. This
| Is all the more fortunate because il gives
! us room TO hope that for some weeks still
| the new satellite will be diligently pur-
sued, and thus its orbit will be so lar care
| fully determined AS 10 admit OF the theory
Of this new addition TO our solar system
being properly examined.
Prof. T.. T.. Barnard has already obtained
| deserved fame rs q skilful astronomical
| observer, and therefore il is that his an
! nouDcement of this new discovery has
been at once accepted by astronomers. IL
/ is the extreme minuteness of the body
/ which has been the cause # its hitherto
| escaping notice. We are told that the
fifth satellite appears as a star OF the thir-
teenth magnitude II not even very much
less. An object possessing no greater bril-