The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-04

be almost beyond belief. In fact, this, the
chief difficulty of the modern astronomer,
is here practically entirely overcome. This
we attribute in part to our altitude, but
very largely TO the excessive dryness OF
our climate While in the United States
with our twelve-inch refracting telescope.
magnifying power of 200 to 400 could be
employed, the latter under considerable
difficulties, and only occasionally, there
powers of 800 and 100 can be used nearly
every night. and 2.1OO not infrequently,
when the object is bright enough to bear
it. In short. what we can see here de-
Ponds, not as elsewhere upon our Amos
phere. but merely upon the size and quail
ity of the telescope employed.
Although our telescope is only thirteen
inches aperture, yet il Is the largest visual
refractor south of the equator. 1t hap
pens. by curious coincidence. that many
Of the most interesting bodies In the whole
sky cluster around the southern pole OF
the heavens. and are therefore never visi-
bic in the United States or Europe. These
objects are all well seen from Arequipa.
In fact. an area equal to one-quarter OF
the whole sky can never be studied to adj
vantage at any Northern observatory. =.
1t is a singular fact that the only well
equipped mountain observatories in the
world. the Lick, altitude 1900 feet, and the
Harvard station, altitude S056 feet, are
both American institutions. At one can
be obtained the clearest views of celestial
objects in the North, and at the other, the
clearest views of objects in the South. The
Lick telescope is thirty-six inches aperture,
and ours only thirteen, but this difference
for many objects is probably partly coun-
terba!anced by our extraordinary atmos-
phere. There is undoubtedly no object In
the sky that cannot be seen better at one
or the other of these two observatories
than anywhere else in the world. Besides
our 13-inch visual telescope, which can
also be used for Photographic purposes,
we have a 20-inch reflector of short focus,
an 8-inch Photographic doublet, 5-inch
refractor and 2lz-inch doublet of great
illuminating power. In few years We
shall probably receive a 2i-inch photo
graphic doublet, but besides that what We
most need is undoubtedly q really large
visual refracting telescope.
Over 1000 Sx10 photographs have al
ready been taken at this observatory, and
several interesting discoveries have been
made, accounts of which will be pub
lIshed shortly. Observations have also
been begun upon the planet Mars, which
is the body of all in the solar system most
nearly resembling our earth. As is well
known, white substance, resembling
snow, forms around its poles during the
winter season. If this substance really is
snow, it, together with other indications.
informs US that its surface is supplied
with water and an atmosphere, and that
it possesses temperature not unlike our
own. This planet, when it is nearest us,
is always very far to the south. This rem
ders its observation particularly difficult
for the northern observatories, and par
ticularly easy for us. We shall. therefore,
undoubtedly secure better views of its
surface than have ever been accorded to
any astronomer before.
WILLIAM III. PICKERING.