The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1899-03-09
AW WAITING
ECLIPSE
AstronosE ) Get.
ting Ready.
HARVARD PIOFRSSORy VIEWS
Nos Form OF TELESCOPES 10 suK.
...s.a r.. f.LI-- as-ffs.
IIiRviED PEOFRSSORS VIEWS
nos Form OF TELESCOPES 10 suK.
gested-Tor Taking Stellar
Photographs.

tAMHitlDEEs Mass. March D.
Astronomers already are preparing
fer the solar eclipse Of May -, 1900.
which II TO be visible In the southern
states Plans are under discussion
for making the most OF the feeiing
opportunity. Prof. E. q. Pickering.
head of tho Harvard Astronomical
department. In a circular letter 20
astronomers. urges a variation from
cNlstainE methods. permitting
greater amount of work. not merely
during an eclipse. but In the general
research OF an observatory. He
nays that most Of the telescopes in
use nowadays are very nearly the
panne form and adapted for the hane
kind af work. leaving other equally
valuable nridH untouched.
Most modern Instruments have
been made. with two or three cx-
centionn. IN the north temperate
sore and placed for local or political
rcasonH With no special reference 60
the needs Of astronomical research.
As a rule. they are near large cities
or towns. where the very conditions
that made the country prosperous
rendered them unit for finc work
Besides. the more southern hemi-
sphere has been neglected.
In point Of construction. most
modern telescopes are II the same
pattern. with focai lengths from Is
90 ~ times the aperture. and there
fore confined Go one class of work.
rhs success OF the Bruce ;s|oope
az Areauipa. Peru. a Photographic
instrument. with a focal length only
six times the aperture. prompts the
professor e. suggest that a develop
atent Of astronomical study on the
fano lines would be emincntiy de-
Sirabie. An illustration Of the value
81 permanent records Of sky secured
az Areaulpa was ntrikingiy shown In
the ease % the planet Eros. dis
covered In ISIS. Calculations showed
that IL must have been near the
earth apd bright In 1885,. II was not
discovered then. but I, proves To
have been taken ON the Bruce plates
preserved at Harvard. twenty pic
tures Of II having been found. en-
Ahlinw the astronomers 60 follow IL
through half a revolution
frog. I'iekerings proposal II 10
build n Photographic telescope Of
great focal length. say us or iss
feet. with an aperture Of II or IL
inches. 10 would be mounted hori-
sautaiiy ana snlmovabie. the images
Of the stars To be reflected into II
from a mirror. Tho motion OF the
earth could he counteracted by NOV
lns the Photographic plate by clock
work. such an instrument would be
only an enormous enlargement of
the photo Photograph. which has
been found 10 be tn. best for study
Of the sun. The larger Instrument.
With favuring atmospheric condi-
tiona, possibly could outline the finer
details Of the solar surface. and In
the coming eclipse probably could
Insure photographs Of the spectrum
~ tho reversing layer In the inner
corona.
other lines Of research suggested
would he the securing of better pho
tnEr aphs than have been obtained
OF the moon and Of Jupiter. Saturn
and Mars. The planet Eros APP
proarhcs the earth 80 closely that
ita parailax amounts To n minute OF
arc. The NEXT approach In 1900 win
be more favorable than any other
until 1877. aud careful observations
should be taken OF the planet whca
east and west OF the meridian. since
the distance of the sun from the
earth probably can be determined In
this way better than any other yet
attempted. As this distance IL the
u.dt by which all astronomical dis
taneea are measured the Importance
Of the work can hardly be overrated.
More than 81 coo. 600 was spent In OBJ
servations OF the transit of Venus
in 1874. for this aim only. while the
proposed plan is feasible at cost
Of 5000 or 10000. The parailax OF
tho nscd stars and the locatorE OF
tho major planets are other lines of
fruitful study possible with n photo
hailugraDh.