The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-01
LORE FROM THE SKIES
MANY NEW STARS DISCOVERED AT
THE FLAGSTAFF OBSERVATORY.
The Heavens Searched to Good Pur-
pose by Prof. Lee-Arizona Climate
Well Adapted for Astronomy.

BOSTON, Nov. SO-Astronomical discov-
cries of great value are reported by DR.. I.
j. ]. Lee, who has charge of the Lowell OBJ
servatory in Flagstaff, A. r., established
and maintained by Percival Lowell DR.. Lee
is now in Boston, and to-day he gave an in
teresting account of his recent discoveries
through the twenty-four-inch telescope
built by Alvan Clark & Sons, which has
been in use for eighteen months.
Professor Lee has found his station a
most favorable one for observations. He
says the Arizona air is clearer and purer
than that at any other station in this coun-
try He and his assistant have now come
East to publish report of their work. Pro-
fessor Lee was at one time in charge of the
department of astronomy in the University
of Chicago, and is ranked among the ablest
mathematical astronomers of the country.
He has been comforting with several men
of science in Cambride, and Harvard OBJ
servers are much interested.
DIR. Lee to-day said that since August,
1896. he has discovered about five hundred
new double stars, and has measured about
seven hundred objects noticed by previous
observers. Many of the stellar systems dis
covered are large and brilliant and thus
possess the highest interest He says with
in the last year the Lowell observers have
examined no less than $4,000 stars. They
have swept over 1900 systems. Some of the
new stars are very close together, and are
barely separated in the great lens. Others
are unequal in brightness and require the
best atmosphere for effecting a good sepa-
ration. The discovery of these five hum
dred new double stars is accounted the
most important contribution to southern
astronomy since the survey of Sir John
Herschel, sixty years ago. one or these
stars has been found to revolve only once
! in five years and another in about sixteen
years. Both have become of the highest
interest to observers. The plan of Dr. Lee
is to perform a great catalogue of every
double star within Seventy-1lve degrees of
the south POLE and with this object he Will
continue his explorations for several years.
One interesting conclusion DR.. Lee has
reached involves a modification OF the IA
nous "nebular hypothesis" which for more
than a century has been accepted as the
most reasonable theory of the origin of
either stellar or planetary systems The
new double star discoveries are interpreted
by DR.. Lee to suggest that the more usual
method of the formation of a system orig
iEally is that the central mass divides en-
masse. The satellite then begins life not an
annular ring about the original body, but in
nearly it's original FORM The rings of Sat
urn he regards simply as an exception to
the rule.
one of the phenomena suggesting this is
the general inequality of the components
of a double star system. Besides, their
OrDlJS are, as RUE, Twelve llIHSS NOR
ellptical than the orbits of a planetary sys-
tenn. To a mathematician this suggests
factors that have no place in a planetary
system. One of these factors is the action
of stellar tides, which exert a retarding
tendency and ultimately fatten the orbits,
which originally may have been nearly cir
cular.
A phenomenon of great general interest
is the twinkling of the stars, so familiar on
clear, cold nights. This, DR.. Lee says, is
due to small waves or currents in the air.
about the size of an egg sometimes even
larger than a mans hand. These little
waves fill the aid under certain conditions,
as on a cold night, and imposing before
the eye, dart the light from side to side
and in this way convert the light of the
star into colors or eXtinguiSh 1t entirely.
The appearance is similar to light reflected
from wavy, running water, Mr.. Douglas
discovered how to see these waves with a
telescope, and DIR. Lee brings proof that
they cause the twinkling.
Other important discoveries have been
made in the Lowell observatory. 1t was Oc-
cupied in 1S94-95 with the study of Mars.
Numerous canals were discovered.
Mr.. Lowell in 1896 found that the two
inner planets, Mercury and Venus. rotate
they revolve on their orbits. These bodies
thus show the same hemispheres to the sun
all the time, and the opposite halves are
wrapped in everlasting night
Professor Douglas has recently deter
mined the rotation of Jupiter's third and
fourth satellites, and found these bodies
show only one face toward Jupiter.
1t was during 1896 that the observatory
began an exploration of the southern skies
for new double stars and nebulae. The re-
gion near the south pole is almost a new
field.