The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-23
THE YERKES TELESCOPE.
Prof. Barnard Thinks 1t WIFI Reveal
Many New Things to the world.

WILLIAMS BAY, Wis, May 22.-The first
glimpse of the starry heavens through
the worlds greatest lens was given to
President Harper, of the Chicago Uni
versty and party of representative Chi
cagoans at the Yerkes Observatory. Direc-
tor Hale and Professor Barnard were the
hosts. The visitors first saw the two mo-
lions of the telescope, the clock was set IN
motion, the lifting floor came up with
motion almost imperceptible, the great
dome reVolVed and the telescope was turned
en- Jupiter. Director Hale then got the star
in the field of the finder and President
Harper was the first of the visitors TO look
at the planet through the Chicago Univer-
sity's great glass. Jupiter is 500, 100000 miles
distant from the earth, roughly estimated,
and the Yerkes telescope brings 1t to less
than 100000 miles distant. The night
seemed an ideal one for observation. The
sky was cloudless, but. owing to the at
mospheric disturbances of the day before
and the fall in temperature, the seeing
was pronounced by the astronomers only
fair.
Professor Barnard, captured by the Chi
cago University from the Lick Observatory,
declares that 1t is not possible to estimate
what the telescope may DO Tor science. II
will take weeks ana possibly months Tor the
operators to successfully solve the prob
lens which the atmosphere may present
I'VE have a right to expect great results,
he said This instrument collects 20 per
cent. more light than does the Lick. mis-
means a great deal more, since 1t aHoWs
us to penetrate one-fourtn farther into
space Were there no problems IN the
space between heaven and earth ana the
atmosphere was an inVariable quantity II
would be reasonable to give the imagination
swing and tell about what we ought TO DO
with the great telescope. We nave peen
fortunate in working with the smaller tele-
scope from this sight, and from this we are
able to say that the Yerkes telescope IS
loo ated at practically ideal point.
excellence of seeing experienced mere that
the time has come that something dennlte
NAV be had about Venus and Mercury and
the question of their rotation periods. we
may possibly confirm either the short or
long periods of rotation Us assigned TO
these planets by various observers. We can
reasonably expect much concise and new
information about the moons of Jupiter,
their physical condition and periods of ro-
tation Saturn and his rings will be fruitful
fields and we shall be disappointed unless
we are aple TO bring down accurate knoWl-
edge of the surface of Uranus and Nep-
tune. This telescope will show the world
much that is new concerning the worlds
between Mars and Jupiter and the sci
ence of astronomy will be enriched by its
double stars We can promise more ac-
curate measurements of the distances to
the fixed stars. The moon will be better
seen and the little valleys and hills on
the desolate surface will be more numer
GUS 1t is too much to expect of any tele-
it ever bore life or what Ii is composed of.
The moon looks as If it Were seen at a
distance of two hundred miles with the
naked eye"