The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-24

Not Everything Depends on Size OF
Instrument.
New York Evening Post.

New York Evening Post >
We have just received from Germany q
pamphlet issued by the observatory at
Potsdam. near Berlin. describing ceremo-
MES connected with the Official installation
of a new and large telescope. 1t appears
that the Kaiser himself has become suf-
ficiently interested in astronomy to have
ordered the immediate construction OF such
an instrument. after it had been repeatedly
asked by the astronomers and refused by
successive imperial ministers from motives
of economy. The Kaiser even attended per-
sonally the dedication ceremonies at Pots
dam, and seems to have listened to the
speeches made upon that occasion These
were, as is only right and proper. somewhat
complimentary TO the observatory and the
noble patron who honored IL bv his pres
ence. Perhaps they might even be said to-
SAVIOR somewhat of praise majestic. but this
does not appear to be a crime in Germany.
But setting aside the rather humorous as
pect which these official foreign ceremonial
occasions generally exhibit to American
we cannot too seriously emphasize the inn
portance TO astronomical progress OF this
genuine interest on the Emperor's part.
Germany deservedy stands very high
among the nations as a cultivator OF astron-
omy. But there Us one class OF researches
that IL has been quite impossible 10 under.
take there. These require observations with
a telescope of great size and nght-gather~
ing power; and such a telescope Germany
has never had. Our own country has al
ways led in this respect. IL was in the
Clark workshop at Cambridgep0rt, Mass
that the first modern great telescope was
made, and ever since the successive larg-
est telescopes have been supplied with lens.
es from that same workshop The United
N tory
atory in California and the new Yerkes OBJ
servatory near Chicago have each in turn
possessed the worlds greatest telescope,
and foreign astronomers have always been
compelled TO content themselves with lesser
instruments. But they have not been far
behind US, with the single exception OF the
Germans. The Yerkes telescope at Chicago
has diameter of forty inches, and the
Lick has thrty-six. Great Britain has one
of twenty-eight inches, Russia one OF thirty
and now the new German telescope enters
the competition with a diameter OF thirty
two inches. The United States still leads.
therefore, with the two largest Instruments,
but all the telescopes mentioned are OK
sufficient size to attempt work requiring
great light-gathering power.
But so much depends upon the sensitive
ness of the astronomers eye. and upon his
skill in observing, that we are not nee
essarily sure of doing more with our great
instruments than can be accomplished with
the slightly similar European ones. To
make an astronomical observation, three
things have TO be brought INTO the sans
straight line the star. the telescope and
the human eye. The man behind the tele-
scope counts heavily in the final result.
The Potsdam Observatory. though only
about twenty-five years old, was the frse
one devoted exclusively to the compare
lively new science of astrophysics. Instead
OF the older investigation Of the stars
motions and positions, the astrophysicist
studies with the spectroscope the chemical
constitution OF the heavenly bodies and
such other characteristics as can be deter
mined with that instrument. a particular
speciality has been made at Potsdam or
photographing spectra. for the measure
ment of stellar velocities OK motion IN
space 1t Is not too much 10 say that the
perfection of the methods now used for
this purpose Is due very largely 10 Pots
dam But IL is precisely this extremely
interesting and important kind OF observa-
ton that. requires a telescope OF large
size So. while Nogel and Scheiner at
Potsdam have been able 10 devise and per-
feet new methods OF observation. they
have been limited 10 using these methods
through the intelligent interest OF the En-
peror, they are enabled TO extend the work.
Statistical information about the velOci-
ties of large number OF stars Is essential
10 the solution OF problems relating 10
the construction OF the universe This
fSre now in fair way 10 attain. since the
special skill OF the Potsdam Observatory
in this department OF research Will at
last be exercised with adequate instru-
mental facilities.