The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-10
PATHWAYS In THE SKIES
New Fields Opening for Astronem-
ieal Researches.
Modern Inventions Aiding the Oldest
Science in the Worlds History.
Possibilities of Remarkable Dis
coycries During Present Century.
Enbryo Stars Await Development.

many. stands at present, upon
the threshold of new and
more glorious future. This
brave o'erhanging armament, this males
tica roof fretted with golden fire. is not
to the eye of science, youthful. and hope
full as she is. foul and pestilential con-
grcgatiCn OF vapors," but field for far
reaching research. and splendid discovery.
Tho century that has just past has left
astronomy well-ftted and developed for
future achievements. The assistance rem
dered by improved instruments and pho
| Biography, physics, and chemistry. have
| transformed 1t from a mere study of the
zenithal distances of the stars and their
| motions. to the analysis of their spectra,
from which is deduced their composition
and their stage of evolution from the nebu
lous gatherings which from the nuclei Of
worlds. to the arid and lifeless wastes
which characterize extinct suns and plan
| cts.
1t is a wonderful triumph of the human
intellect. this ability to conquer space. to
| pierce the infinite. and attain detailed
| knowledge concerning bodies many mil
lions of miles away.
The close OF the eighteenth century was
marked by the observations of jerome de
La Lande and>his nephew, lie Francois de
La Lande. These eminent scientists sue
| ceeded in locating $4,000 stars. and on
| their catalogue of these all subsequent
/ studies and comparisons have been based
| In the first quarter of the century VOL
| loston saw the solar spectrum, and black
! lines crossing the colors. but he did not
| understand them. Fraunhoffer following
in his footsteps, gained further knowledge
! concerning the spectrum and interpreted
| it, naming the colors from the first eight
letters OF the alphabet. He found that the
same lines that are black in the sun are
of a brilliant white in the vapors of ter
rcstrial substances. such as water iron,
I hydrogen, magnesium. or carbon. II two
spectra, one of the sun of our universe, or
OF any star that forms the centre of an
other universe, and the other of a vapor
found on the earth are laid side by side
SO that given black line corresponds with
| given white one, all the other lines.
white and black, are found to correspond
exactly. This proves that they all fol-
low The same law. For over fifty years,
photography has been used in astronomy
vita ever new and startling results. Great
as is the improvement If the large and
perfected modern telescopes over the nu-
raj quarter circles of a hundred years ago,
the advantages Of photography over draw
ing are equally as great.
The sensitive plate finds much that the
eye would never detect. for it is capable
of a protracted exposure, whereas the
glass Of telescope becomes dimmed after
minute or two. 1t has revealed double
and triple stars, formerly unsupported. 1t
has watched the movements of variable
stars, and has yielded precise information
concerning the nebulae. The data already
obtained In connection with these latter
is truly astonishing. but 1t is probably In
significant to the knowledge of star en-
bryos which will be revealed in the fu-
ture. The great observatories OF Europe
are at present applying photography to
the stupendous task of obtaining COM
plete delineatiOn OF the nebular heavens,
a result which Will probably be achieved
In the first quarter of this century.
Nebulae are those phenomena which,
observed through the telescope, have the
appearance of vague silvery clouds among
the consultations of stars. Their number
NAV be appreciated from the fact that
f25.00O lie within the Photographic grasp
of the Crossley reflector, lately mounted
al the Lick Observatory in California.
complete record of the nebulae will,
it is expected, disclose many facts re-
garding the progressive order upon which
this order the nebulae are regarded as
the elemental form of planetary life. from
which are developed future worlds and
suns Our own luminary and the earth
primarily constituted a nebulous mass.
and. by the study OF other nebulae. we
may read the history OF our own solar
sytem at It's various stages of evolution.
For the record OF world life which sci
entists are now seeking TO obtain will
aittla "a rli
stage on to formation and planetary
existence. to maturity. and thence to
final extinction. will be the task of the
twentieth century astronomers to deter
mine in the case OF the heavenly bodies.
The process by which nebuiae are trans
formed into suns and planets, and again
the earliest forms of the latter as re-
yaeled by their spectra, or their position
in the heavens, will form the principal
feature in these Investigations. Whether
the spectroscope. by affording chemical
ANALYSIS of the light of the various bod
les under Investigation, or the camera,
by depicting their positions in space. will
prove the more valuable, it is impossible
to say. In all probability. however, these
two splendid aids will cooperate, and
the comparison of results obtained by ,
each will afford a facility in research
which will lift modern astronomy into au
entirely new position among the sciences
AS an illustration. Prof. T. J. ]. See, OF
the Naval Observatory, has stated the
theory that the early stage of planetary
existence Of the so-called ''eclipsing
stars" that is, stars whose light is tenn
porarily obscured at certain intervals, is
SHOWN not merely by their diffusenesS of
radiation (Which has been hitherto accept |
ed as a somewhat equivocal tesO, but by |
the brief duration Of their circulatory pc
RODS. The fact of diffuseness Of radiation !
in the case OF these stars would. taken |
alone. scarcely demonstrate their early |
life. but should there be added as supple |
mentary evidence pointing to the same |
conclusion. their brief circulatory periods. |
the inference may reasonably be drawn !
that ditfuseness of radiation which in |
wolves also low gravity, is proof of in |
fancy or early youth in the case of all |
bodies in which that appearance is noted. |
The one OF these tests depending upon the |
spectroscope, and the other upon observa- |
tion. il will readily be seen how great an
aid the former becomes to the other pro- |
cesses employed by astronomy.
A fact revealed by the plates already |
obtained. the full Importance of which |
it is impossible TO say. is that /
there is Il geometric principle which |
apparently determines the pictorial .
recurrence in all quarters of the |
sky, OF curves and lines OF equal stars, |
regularly interspaced. The plates also !
show many instances of similar confgu-
rations, but in which the stars are just |
connected by the thin threads Of nebulous
matter. Again are seen instances of !
what are termed nebuious mndules, |
formed by the aggregation of nebulous |
matter at one point. arranged geometri- I