New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-05
NOVA NORME.
HOW THE NEW STAR WAS FOUND AND
PHOTOGRAPHED.

| PIOIOGRAPHED.
THE WORK OF THE DRY PLATE IN PHOTOGRAPHY
| OPERATIONS AT THE HARVARD
OBSERVATORY
| IRON AK OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT TRIBUNE.
| Cambridge Mass, Nov. 3-Comparatively few
people probably realize the extent to which the as
| tronomer of to-day depends on photography. In
| stead of sweeping the heavens with his telescope
in an effort discover something new. he inserts
q dry plate at the eye-piece of the instrument,
| places a prism. perhaps, in front of the object
| glass and let's the stars record themselves In this
way, with long exposure, heavenly bodies are
revealed that might entirely escape visual observa-
tion
| 1t was through photography that Mr.. Fleming.
of the Harvard Observatory discovered the Nova
| announced last week. The plate which this
star may be sent with several hundred
others three weeks ago from the southern
station of the Harvard Observatory at Arequipa,
Peru. All Photographic plates taken at this sta
| ton are developed by Mr.. Bailey who Is In charge
there and are then sent to Mrs Fleming In
| Cambridge for examination. Nova Normae, the
new star, had its photograph taken on July %.
When the plate containing II came into Mrs. Flem-
ings hands, about ten days ago. she at once no
ticed its peculiar spectrum. Seeking TO identify 1t
| in the various catalogues of the region where 1t
appeared she was soon convinced that II was
new star. 1t had no place In any catalogue ABOUT
| six weeks earlier than the date of the photograph
which showed this star photograph of the same
region had been taken. But this plate showed no
trace whatever OF the Nova. The apparent birth
day of the new star was therefore some time about
the middle OF July. It's precise position Is In the
! southern constellation Norma, in 20 degrees south
! declinaton degrees below our horizon. II Is OF
the seventh magnitude. Professor Pickering, after
! it was proved beyond doubt that new star had
| been discovered. tcegraphed the news to Mr. Bal
ley asking him make further photographs Oh
| this region and look for the star again. 1t VIII
be interesting learn whether this star, like the
| Nova Aurgae, Is Of diminishing brightness from
| week week.
| seemed to Mrs. Fleming resemble that OF Nova
Aurigac \ closer examination proved them to be
exactly the same. TO make assurance doubly sure
| the negative of the new star was superimposeo OH
the negative of Nova Aurigae in its earliest state
and "a composite photograph was taken or the two'
| with the result that the lines OF the spectrum in
both were found exactly to coincide. That Is. the
| two stars have the same physical condition. ana
| probably owe their birth to the same causes.
! What these are, astronomers themselves
are not fully agreed. Possibly comet In COLI
sion with heavenly body, or the meeting OF
| two swarms Of meteorc matter. may have brought
| the new star into existence. Or the theory may
be true that a which for untold ages had been
| cooling off until its surface was incrusted with
non-ncandcscent matter for some unknown rea-
| bursting us covering, lid! H"'c ic'u"ou !"
the incandescent state.
Nova Aurigae and Nova Normae the only two
stars of their peculiar class discovered since the
| application of photography to astronomy Inc
first of these stars was discovered, IL VIII DC re-
membered, by Scottish observer, who announced
his discovery to the scientific world anonymously
| on "a post card. There some regret at the
| time at the Harvard Observatory that Mrs. Flcm-
Ing had not first to ind this new star
| t,r as soon AS me foreign announcement mad been
M ne examination plates taken some liinc
before at the Harvard Observatory showed tnat
| fore IL had made itself KNOWN 10 the Scottish OBJ
| server. In Il brief time these plates would nave
| passed under her eye for examine tion ana thus
| she would have had the honor OF the discovery
| AS it is her examination OF those earlier plates
| some valuable data for establishing theory re-
sardns the of ns naWeve is n
| ready well known to the world OF science as
ana 0s TF h%ye
peared for years IN the foreign astronomical Jour-
m INA Asqronomy' was read at Chicago this summer
before the Congress of Astronomy and Astro.
! nebula ever discovered through photography, and
has proved large number OF stars with bright
~" The piiberality OF a New-York woman has made
p sSs SF 1he sae of Of
Mrs. Fleming work is a part: Mrs Anna raimer
and widow of Or. Henry Draper. at an expense OF
many thousand dollars year, maintains the work
at the Harvard Observatory which Is known as
the Draper Memorial Under the supervision OF
Professor Pickering. Mrs. Fleming has charge OF
sjstants pr Draper himself was an interchangeable
worker in the realm Of spectre
studying the spectra OF the stars the Draper
OF the stars resolving itself into catalogue OF the
spectra OF all the stars north OF ~ degrees OF the
ars se nnmber Of stars brighter than the eighth
magnitude, and detailed study Of the spectra Of
Investigations kindred to these may be added 10
mon NJ he Dram cat air A
can be seen that this work has already greatly
increased our knowledge OF the stars Accord
bright stars are arranged In five nye groups tn, The
rspe stars wheel necr are to the IN ars
OF development tnan our sun Second-type stars
show a stage Of development In advance Of our
sun Fourth-type stars are the red stars so difti-
brirht.iine stars and planetary nebulac. In the
case OF first. second and third type stars the Sc
many intermediate classes; Fourth and NTH type
s ns ys to sT from ee this
cation that there Is system OF evolution through
trial regions Herein, indeed, lies a great part OF
thu importance Of he DISCOVER Of these stars
MANS mans and catalogues OF the region where they
appear snow. no trace OF them would in itself
his a study OF their spectra shows them to be In
Pan earlier state OF physical development than first
' The Draper catalogue Is work OF great interest
co,ainen,r OF more than 10000 stars index not
"a heir position alone. but to their physical ma.
lure The photographs which form the basis o.; Of
E ~, with the elght-nch Draper telescope.
and IN Peru with the a, , ba ,h sssssEs
." tho results and the making of the catalogues
are '' entirely the work Of Mrs Fleming and her
III, nS Me- {, W Bruce. of Newyork, at n cost Of
Sscco. viii shortly be set UP at the observatory
graph stars even Of the seventeenth masntnde and
n'a ,hs lasts of Draper Memorial Investigations
! IS exusstca from the use OF this instruments