The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-08-29
THE SPECTROSCOPE.
1t Promises to Reveal Wonderful
Star Secrets.

may reach OpSerSsFs ScAANssa1AiAis NssSsos
ing to the compoussson ~ tie Heavenly
Bodies. N
The corps of astronomers at the OBJ
servatory on Mount Hamilton are now
completing the results Of Professor
Schaeberles observation of the great
eclipse of the sun observed lin Peru,
specializing on that wonderful heavenly
visitant, the co1nst; studying the 'Sbright
line stars, and other matters Incidental
to the work of this, the greatess observa-
tory of the world.
It has never been definitely known of
what comets were composed, but Pro-
fessor Campbell has been observing the
recent additions to the armament at all
favorable opportunities with the big tel
escope and its spectrum attachment.
The result Of his observation has been
that the spectrum lines show that the
comet is composed of incandescent car
bon and nitrogen, being itself luminous.
This has been the theory heretofore, but
it had never before been actually deter
mined. The spectrum revealed the hith-
erto suspected truth. While the astron-
omers are satisfied with the observations
of this comet, yet much is still in doubt,
and will not be solved rntil some big
comet appears, such as has presented
itself in past years before the present
means of observation were known. If
such comet should heave in sight all
other work would be suspended, and all
eyes turned upon it, resulting undoubt-
eddy in astonishing and almost unhoped
for results.
Professor Campbell at present is de-
voting most Of his time and attention to
the study of the "bright line" stars,
training the great lens upon them night
after night. His work is greatly aided
by the spectroscope Of these stars
there are only 80 in this hemisphere
capable of being observed, the remain
der, about 10 in number, being in the
southern hemisphere, and not visible at
the Lick. When the spectrum is placed
on the telescope, and the lens trained
upon one of these stars, the light from
the star. is broken up and analysed by
the spectrum, and the colors obtained
arranged in broad band according to
their intensity. ntersecting this band
are bright lines, whence these stars re-
ceive their name. The lines, according
to their position among the colors, de-
note preponderating abundance ofsome
element, one position indicating hydro
gen, another tin, another iron, and so
through the list of elements. In some
of these stars the number of bright lines
is much greater than in others, and this
shows that the stars are in different
stages Of development.
From these observations Professor
Campbell hopes to perfect definite the
cry in regard to sidereal evolution,
which viii show whether the star is a
NJ v one or one partly burned out or one
enSfely dead. All observations hitherto
have been made with comparatively
small telescopes, and but few lines were
brought out in any of the spectra, but
when the SO inch lens, with its wonder
full power, was turned upon them many
new bright lines were brought out, re-
vealing the fact that the state of the
stars was far different from what was
supposed. Continued observations will
be made upon these stars, and many
new and interesting facts may soon be
discovered.
A very interesting object of observa-
ton has been the new star in the con-
stellation of Auriga, called Nova Au-
riga, discovered on Nov. 1, 1899, by Pro-
fessor Andrews of the Edinburgh OBJ
servatory. When first discovered, this
star was of the fifth magnitude and was
visible to the naked eye. 1t remained in
this state for six weeks. 1t then de-
creased in intensity and was visible only
in the large telescope for period of six
weeks more, when it totally disappeared.
In August it again appeared, having in
creased to the tenth magnitude, and it
has remained in sight ever since, increas-
ing in brilliancy and commanding great
attention in all the observatories Of the
world. 1t is now supposed to be in the
first stage Of sidereal evolution. In the
past 90 centuries only 20 of these new
stars have been discovered, and the ex-
IRENE rareness Of their appearance adds
greatly to the interest in them.
The most important question in re-
gard to Nova Auriga was the nature Of
it. Here and at Pultowa, Russia, where
the second largest telescope in the world
is located, the lens being 80 inches in
diameter, the observation tended to show
that it was planetary nebu1@ or ne
bilious star, but this theory has been
denied by leading English and German
astronomers, who have claimed that it
was a true star. Recent observations at
Mount Hamilton disprove the theory of
it's being true star, and establish the
fact that it is a nebulous body. The
spectrum exhibited exactly the same
features as the spectrum of those stars
which are admitted to be nebulm.
Without doubt the spectrum has
proved to be the most valuable scientific
aid to astronomers of all discovered in
recent years. While it has been in use
for nearly 20 years, yet it has been only
in the last five years thas it has proved
to be of much vslne Il u LOW used
both usually and phctossaa i,ilsssssll3. The
Lick observatory will sssx be furnished