Evening star., 1897-03-13
TO STUDY THE Sun.
The Largest SpectrOscOpe i'm the
World just Completed.


From the New York Herald
The largest spectroscope in the world has
just been completed by Prof John A. Bra
shear, the famous instrument maker of
Allegheny. Pa. 1t has been made espe-
cially for DR.. Hans Hauswaidt a wealthy
scientist of Magdeburg. Germany where it
will be used In physical research and 1t is
expected that many important discoveries
will be made with its aid The two most
powerful spectroscopes now in use are at
the Royal University of Dublin and the
McGill University of Toronto, Canada
These instruments were also made by Prof
BraShear
Ine powerful concave grating instrument
Is Fl feet long. and will require a room
about % feet square I'm which to operate it,
II Is to be used for physical investigations
or very high character and the design
and construction were settled upon by
Prof. Brashear and DIR. H. Kayser of the
University of Bonn.
1t is also very probable that DIR. Haus-
waldt Will have other powerful Instruments
OF research made by Prof Brashear as
correspondence is now going on in regard
to great physical and astronomical instru-
ments that are to be placed in the new
laboratory now being equipped by him I'M
Magdeburg. DIR. Hauswaldt has gained
considerable fame in Germany by his ex-
periments. and he is sparng nothing in the
equipment OF his laboratory, which, when
complete, will be one of the finest in En-
rope. and will far excel any In this country
The grating to be used on the powerful
spectroscope has six-inch aperture and
Is ruled with 10000 lines. So accurately
are these lines ruled that there is no diff
terence any greater than three millionths
OF an inch between any of them. This in
strument is so powerful that where an or
dlnary spectroscope would show from ln
to 2O lines belonging to the spectrum of
/ mo fhot,
to he considered that a spectroscope that
could show the sodium lines double was
one OF great power. The great instrument
TO he sent to Germany not only shows each
OF theSe lines double. but with the sun low
IN the meridian as many as fifteen lines
may be seen between the sodium lines
The new spectroscope has its Creates.
power, however. in the way of photog-
raphy. The spectrum of the sun has been
photographed to a length of over sixty
feet. literally crowded with lines from one
end to the other. 1t is so arranged that no
matter what part of the spectrum ii is de-
sired to photograph the phOtogra phic plate
Is always in focus for every par; of the
spectrum.
This large instrument is also valuable
in making comparisons of anything that
may be burning in the SUM-" said Prof
Brasnear. in speaking Of his great work
Suppose. for instance We wish to deter
mine II the metal calcium is in a state of
gas in the light that Is coming from the
sun. We have only to turn the sunlight
into the slit of this great spectroscope and
photograph in the center Of our plate the
center of the sun.
"A bar is now placed over this part of the
plate which has received the impression of
the solar spectrum, and now we turn on
an electric light, in which We have placed
small piece of pure calcium. In a very
brief time the spectrum of the calcium is
above and below the spec
trum that came from the sun. The plate
is now developed. and here We have a pic
ture OF the solar spectrum. running
narrow ma strip between the photograph Of
once the coincidence OF the lines of the
metal with any lines that may be in the
sun. II the lines are In absolute coinci-
dence We may infer from the law of prob
abilities, which increases as the lines in
crease. that the metal We have burned in
our electric arc is burning in the great fire
of the sun.
MANY hundreds of these photographs
have been taken, and We now almost
as certain Of the elements that are burn
ing In our great luminary as those that We
burn in the furnaces of the metallurgists
So it Is with the gases and, indeed. all the
chemical elements. Yet, strange to say
while We here on earth recognize oxygen
as the great supporter of combustion. the
most careful researches with the spectre
scope have failed tC show the existence Of
oxygen in the sun. 1 have in my library
an elaborate little manual giving Prof.
Drapers scientific reasons and proofs that
oxygen is burning in the sun. but it has
been strongly proved the opposite.
Extraordinary care has been taken to
make the instrument as absolutely perfect
as is possible for human hands. The Ger
man physicists are the most exacting
scientists in the world, and their tests of
the great spectroscope will be most rigor-
GUS. DIR. Hauswaldt has established one
of the finest laboratories of its kind i'm the
world, and he has associated with him in
his work the best German physicists of the
day. He intends, 1 understand to devote
his fortune and the rest of his days in
making advanced researches. His labora-
tory now far excek those in this country
and the instruments he is talking of add
Ing to the equipment will make it even
more admirable. I look for important dis
coveries in physical science from the IA
nous little town. The circumstances and
certainly favor it.
1t has been my great regret that I have
been unable to photograph the instru-
ment just made. I have tried, but II is SO
large that some part Of it is always placed
out Of focus in an exaggerated fashion A
would have to be placed fifty feet
away to get any results at all, and then
they would be very unsatisfactory. L have
always mad to be satisfied with the mere