New-York tribune., 1899-06-17

STARS AND TELESCOPES. A Handbook Of Pop
uIaI ASTRONOMY F99nded on IN ,ne ad ,n1h EdITn Todd
NJ. A, Phi. D. illustrated l2mo PIP. XVI. 49,
Boston, Little, Brown Co.
The American partner in this literary and
scientific syndicate has been known for years
an expert on solar eclipses and the author of
a textbook which is notable for research,
curacy and originality. The English member.
at one time an assistant in the Greenwich
Observatory produced an elementary astronomi-
cal work several years ago which developed
marked popularity. Whether the former gentle
man could have done better in his latest enter
prise by working single-handed than by COL
aboration II is not easy to decide But there
can be no question as to the great value of the
additions which he has made either in the form
Of ample footnotes or in distinct chapters. to
Mr.. Lynn's book.
The sun is now studied almost exclusively
with a spectroscope, or apparatus that corre-
spends TO that instrument. 1t was happy
thought, therefore to add brief description OF
Fraunhofers discovery and Rowlands grating
and TO mention the recent achievements Of Hale
Deslandres and Langley in solar physics. The
introduction Of pictures taken forty years ago
by that wonderfully progressive NewYorker
Rutherfurd also appropriate recognition
Of enterprise that is coming to be appre-
to the planets, the most important addenda
items relating to Barnards discovery of Jupiters
fifth satellite. Pckering's find believed to be
satellite Of Saturn). Keelers demonstration that
Saturn's rings not solid and that they are
not attended with an atmosphere. Lowers OBJ
servations Of the markings on Venus. and
entire chapter Mars. In the last of these
contributions Professor Todd quotes literally
from Lowells recent book, and apparently has
a rather high opinion Of the Flagstaff astrono
mers work. The Amherst star gazer shows
more open sympathy with the idea that the
canals of Mars are artificial than any other
American whose opinion counts for much.
In view of the great interest felt just in
| meteoric showers, the supplementary matter in
| regard to meteo:ites will prove particularly
| ceptable to the readers Of stars and Tele-
scopes" Professor Todd declares that the
| "Widmannste.tian figures" which have been
looked upon as almost the only true test for
meteor1c iron no longer inspire confidence The
| Ovifak masses in Greenland. long ago dis
| credited, showed these lines when acid was ap-
| piled TO them. No alusion Is made to Peary's
| blocks Of nickel-iron found at Cape York which
| also came under suspicion. to the Canon
| Diablo meteor so-caled- After all the surest
| way to tell whether a specimen is "a true meteor
or not is to it fall yourself.
1t is gratifying to discover in the notes ap-
| pended to the ample chapter on fixed stars a
reference to Henry Drapers studies OF stellar
| spectra and Burnhams work on doubles The
| last helf of the title Of Todd's ard Lynn's new
| book is justified by long chapter written by
the Amherst professor. the principal re-
| tractors and refectors Of the world and the OBJ
servatories in which they housed. full
| table Of all the asteroids discovered up to a
| few weeks ago. together with a short sketch
| of Eros. is another commendabe amplifcation
| OF the original work
The quality Of the illustrations is not uniform.