The San Francisco call., 1897-11-30
Not Less Than Five Hundred
New Stellar Systems Are
Located.
NEW DOUBLE STARS ALSO
FOUND.
Solution for the Popular Phenom-
enOn of TWInkIing Solved
at Flagstaff.
Special Dispatch to TIE CALL

BOSTON, Nov 29.-IHE CALL to-day is
able TO confirm for the first time the sus-
picion OF important astronomical discov-
cries recently made at the Lowell observ-
atory at Flagstaff, Ariz., which has
prevailed among men of science for the
last few months.
There has just arrived in Boston nota-
bic man of science, DR.. J. J. See, who is
largely responsible for the many valuable
discoveries in the heavens made at the
Lowell observatory. DR.. See has charge
of the double star observations; Mr.
Lowell has charge OF the planetary expe-
lamentations. DIR. See came to Boston
with all of his records for the year. These
records, which The CALL correspondent
secured to-day, constitute the most i'm
portant additions 70 southern stellar as
trOnomy since the survey of Sir John
Herschel sixty years ago.
Briefly summarized, the distinguished
work OF the year at Flagstaff includes the
discovery of about 500 new stellar sys-
TENS. the measuring of some 700 systems
noticed by previous observers, the careful
examination of 5000 stars in the zone be-
tween 20 and 80 degrees south deCiination,
all brighter than the tenth magnitude,
the detection of the rotations OF Jupiter's
third and fourth satellites resulting in
valuable facts, an exhaustive generaliza-
flOn Of the stars in space, an investiga-
tion with excellent results of the phenom-
enon known as the twinkling of the stars,
2 generalization OF many double stars,
etc Eta CentaurI, Alpha Phoenieis,
Theta Scorpii, Lam bda Lupi, \Velorum,
Lamana Capricorni, Zata Capricorni, fif-
laen eridani, lambda Velorium, Psi Lupi
Eta Scorpii and Lam bda Noroe are said
70 be among the new doubles discovered.
another important discovery is tue de-
lection of the rotations of Jupiter's third
and fourth satellites, made by Mr.. Doug
lass from observations .aken in Mexico
and Arizona. These two moons, like our
own moon, show one face only toward the
central body which controls them. This
result by which the satellites are deprived
of rotation is traceable to The tidal action
Of Jupiter in accordance with laws which
Darwin mas worked out and DR.. See has
generalized and extended to the stars in
space.
a popular phenomenon of great general
interest f. as engaged the attention of DR..
See during the past summer. This is the
3
The true cause was this year assigned
for the first time. Mr.. Douglass discov-
cred that The air through which the as
tronomers observe is full of small waves
or IRREGULARITIES. These little phenomena
are about the size of an egg, or some
times as big as mans hand, and they
affect the light ike running water where
1t ripples over gravel. AS the waves pass
be ore the eye the light of the star is first
darted to cne side and then to the other,
and sometimes it IS spread out into its
colors ana forms a spectrum
In addition to these bright stars there
are many others which are very close and
can be barely separated in the great tele-
scope when the images are very still. 1t
was even suggested that d few OF the most
d fficult obj=cis-those which are exces-
sively obscure and shine with dull brown
ish ight-might not be self-luminous,
but are probably planets shining by re-
flected light.
Should these darkish bodies turn out to
be actual planets they would be the first
of the kind ever seen. They are certainly
uniau. in appearance, and lie on the verv
limit of vision; and every one of these OBJ
iects swept up by DR.. See was found to be
new.
These waves are seldom absent except
In the best-see1ng and are the direct cause
of bad seeing as well the twinkling.
Dr.. See took up the question Of twinkling.
and proved by an ingenius inquiry that
the cause of stellar scintilization, which
philosophers had searched for since the
time of Hum boldt, was nothing else than
these small waves discovered BIZ Mr..
Douglass.
Among the last observations secured by
DR.. See and Mr.. Boothroyd, his assistant,
we're some measures of the com panions of
Sirius and Procvon and of the difficult
double star % ceti. Heretofore Procyons $
COMPANION has been seen only at the
Lick Observatory, and the same is true of
Sirius faint attendant; put both were
cIarIy and distinctly seen at Flagstaff
with the 24-inch Clark lens.
The very difficult double 95 ceti was
discovered by the senior Alvan Clark.
ard never again measured till 1888,
when Burnham got one view of it with
the great Lick telescope. On dozens of
other nights he searched in vain for any
trace oft, even under the best conditions
: prevailing in California. AS the COM
nanjon is now closer than when Burn
lam searched for it with the great Lick
;elescope. the recent observation by DR..
\Eee with the Lowell 24-inch must be re-
garded as a supreme test of telescope and
atmosphere.