The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-31

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 new and large telescope. 1t appears
that the Kaiser himself has become spf.
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 an American,
we cannot too seriously emphasize the i'm
portance to astronomical progress OF this
genuine interest on the Emperor's part.
Germany deservedly stands very high
omy. But there is one class of researches
that IL has been quite impossible 10 under
take there. These require observations with
a telescope OF great size and light-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 Cambridgeport, 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
States Naval Observatory. the Lick Observ-
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 TAR
behind us, with the single exception OF the
Germans The Yerkes telescope at Chicago
has a diameter of forty inches. and the
Lick has thirty-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 stu leadss
therefore, with the two largest instruments.
but all the telescopes mentioned are OF
sufficient size TO attempt work requiring
great iight-gathering power.
But so much depends upon the sensitise-
| ness OF the astronomers eye, and upon MS
skill in observing. that We are not nec-
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 same
straight line, the star. the telescope ana
the human eye. The man behind the tele-
SCOPE counts heavily ian the final result.
The Potsdam Observatory, though only
about twenty-five years old. was the first
| one devoted exclusively TO the compare
lively new science OF astrophysics Instead
| OF the older investigation or the stars
| motions and positions. the astrophysicist
studies with the spectroscope the chemical
constitution Of the heavenly bodies ana
| such other characteristics as can be deter
| mined with that instrument. a particular
speciality has been made at Potsdam or
| Dhotographing sDectra, for the measure
rnent of stellar velocities OF motion in
| space. IL 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 telescope Of large
| size So while Vogel and Scheiner at
| Potsdam have been able 20 devise and per-
| feet new methods OF observation. they
| have been limited TO using these methods
upon the very brightest stars. Now.
| through the intelligent interest OF the En-
| peror. they are enabled 10 extend the work.
| Statistical Information about the veloci-
| ties of a large number of stars is essential
| 10 the solution OF problems relating TO
| the construction OF the universe. This Va
are now IN fair way TO attain. since the
| special skill OF the Potsdam observatory
| I'm this department OF research VIII e
| last be exercised with adequate tnscr1Ar
1 mental facilities.