New-York tribune., 1901-11-21
NEBULAR HYPOTHESIS PROVED.
PROFESSOR RITCHEYS OBSERVATIONS
WHICH CONFIRM THEORY OF
LA PLACE.

Chicago Nov O-Professor Ritchey. OF the
Yerkes Observatory. is reported to have made a
discovery in astronomy which is expected to make
him and the observatory world famous The dis
covery in brief is the proof OF what is known as
the nebuar theory. and Professor Ritchey Is
thought to have reduced to a matter OF certtude
what has heretofore been merely brilliant n.y.
pothesis. 1t is claimed that he has done this by
obtaining Photographic evidence OF evolution
among stellar bodies
The Yerkes Observatory is part Of the University
of Chicago. though located at Williams Bay. Lake
Geneva, Wisconsin. 1t endowed by the street
railway man. Charles T. Yerkes Of this city. who
is at present in London seeking to revolutionize
British methods of urban transportation.
Professor Ritchey's observations. it is asserted
not only prove the truth of the celebrated nebular
theory of creation of the famous Frencnman. La
Place. and Of the widely entertained belief that
the solar system. and star clusters have been
formed by millions of years slow evolution from
great bodies of gaseous matter floating in the IN
conceivable abysses of space but also prove that
a nebula, with star for nucleus. changes IT'S
shape and the quantity of light it emits, and that
these changes rapid as to be observaoI
within the compass OF few hours.
Astronomers have long believed that nebula
were the matrixes Of solar systems and star Gus
ters like own, but observer had been aDie
to see the slightest sign of change in their struct-
IRE. This has oeen done by Professor Ritchey.
who is busily engaged in preparing for the teen
nical Journals an announcement of his discovery
The celestial object upon which Professor Rtchey
has made his observations is the mysterious star
Nova in the constellation Perseus. which sud
denly appeared last February in the northern SKY
blazing in a place where there had been no star pe-
fore It's light rapidly increased until II became a
star of the first magnitude. Then 1t gradually
faded away until now it is only OF the sixteentn
magnitude. and is altogether invisible to the un-
aided vision
On the night of September 20 Professor Ritcney
photographed Nova. of Perseus. by means or the
A-inch reflector at the observatory. The negative
disclosed the fact that the star was surrounded oy
nebula-a fact which had been previously SHOWN
by another observer. But on the plate made by
Professor Ritchey, after an exposure OF three
hours and fifty minutes. there were TWO tairiy
dense wisps Of nebula toward the west. WITH a
curve to the north, merging into the convoutions
Of the nebua This startling fact out FRO
fessor Ritchey waited fer a favorable night TO
secure another negative The looked for oppor-
tunity came last Wednesday night November H.
when for seven hours Professor Ritchey exposed
plate to the light OF the mysterious star
When he looked at the negative ne observed a
fact in which he at once recognized the PROOF so
long sought and so ardently wished for by OBJ
servers everywhere-the spots of density in the
west field of the nebua had moved Never before
had this amazing fact been found, and Professor
Ritchey. who saw the Importance or the
discovery he had made, was gratihed beyond words