The times., 1901-04-21
GREAT RESULTS EXPECTED
Important Scientific Investigations
at the Smithsonian.
Delicate Instruments Housed in N
Barn Like Structure-True Rela-
ton Between the sun and Earth.
The Possibilities of AstrOPhysics.

The Possibilities of AstrOPhysics
The casual visitor notices at the rear
of the rich brown stone building of the
Smithsonian Institution a structure re-
sembling a large barn Of by no means
ornamental design. The barn is surround
ed by a wooden fence. in which minute
investigation reveals a gate, usually lock
ed. at which one may knock as long as
one pleases without apparently producing
anv impression whatever upon anybody
inside Should the gate be opene and the
visitor actuated by curiosity, enter the
interior of the barn, first passing through
a muddy yard, he Will see some curious
brass and steel affairs in the otherwise
almost bare rooms
Upon the walls are crude delineations
which remind the visitor of the attempts
of q cataleptic person at making straight
lines. These are really traces Of the mag
netic needle, and, "a il would appear,
have vast and important meanings, which
are for the most part generally uuappre-
cated
Just as the visitor is curiously eNamin-
ing peculiar apparatus, or unintelligible
drawing. he is likely TO hear grun voice
from somewhere wanting to know what
the intruder wants. Next appears 2
young man in his shirt sleeves, who is
the chief of the astrophysical observa-
tory GOr such is the imposing name Of
the barn and its contents). All visitors
who happen TO stray into the barn are
referred for information concerning it to
Prof. Langley. Secretary of the Smith
sonian Institution. Prof. Langley is the
founder Of the observatory. In the work
done there he takes great interest and
pride.
The general object of astronomy" said
Prof. Langley, the oldest of the sciences,
was, until a very late period. to study the
places and motions of the heavenly bodies.
with little special reference TO the wants
of man in his daily life. other than in the
application of the study TO the purposes
Of navigation Within the past generation,
and almost cOincidentaly with the diScoN-
cry Of the spectrOscope, a new branch of
astronomy has arisen. which is some
times called astrOphYSics. and the purpose
OF which IS distinctly different from that
Of finding the places Of the stars, or the
moon, or the SUM- which is the principal
end IN view at such an observatory as
that. for instance. al Greenwich.
The distinct object of astrophySicS is,
in the case Of the sun. for example. not 10
mark its exact place in the sky, but to
find out how il affects the earth and the
wants Of man on the earth. how its heat is
only the seasons and the farmers crops.
hut the whole system Of living things on
the earth, for il has lately been proven
that IN physical sense II. ana almost Il
alone. literally first creates and then mod
iies them in almost every possible way.
we have, however, arrived at a
Knowledge that the luminary does this
without yet knowing. in most cases, how
II aces 50. and We are sure Of the great
importance OF this last acquisition, while
sun largely in ignorance OF how to obtain
It. Ne are. for example. sure that the
latter knowledge wOuld form. among
other things. a scientific basis for meteor
OlUgy and enable Us TO predict the years
of good and bad haTVestS. SO far IS these
depend on natural causes. independent OF
man, and Yet We are still very FAR from
being able 10 make such prediction, and
we cannot do so until We have learned
more by such studies as those in question.
Certain knowledge OF the connection
between solar and earthly phenomena Is
Iluguestionably OF the highest Importance,
and it is to such a knowledge OF causes
with such practical consequences that
the Investigations of the astrophysical et-
serFatory aim and tend
The connection between solar and
earthly phenomena TO which Prof. Lang
ley alludcs may be illustrated In the one
instance of ma gnetic storms on TINS
planet. which are invariably co-eXisJeut
with. OF preceded by. spots on the sun.
Astro-physics however. by 30 means
confines its Investigation TO the sun,
though that is the most important
subject Of its study and one that
has been undertaken 10y nearly every
leading government Of tho civilized
world. France has "A great astrOphysical
observatory IN MeudOn. and Germany one
on an equal scale in Potsdam. while Eng
land Italy. and other countries have also,
at tn enational expense maintained for
many years institutions for the prOsecu-
tfon OF 4strophysical science. The work
Of the astrophysical observatory Of the
Smithsonian is. 10 a large degree. supple
mentary 10 the spectroScoptc work con-
Quoted IL the leading astronomical OBJ
servatOries OF the country
II We'll understood that upTfiV
every movement which goes on within
the confines OF this planet. not only from
changes of the seasons or OF rain. or the
movement Of wind or storm. but every
manifestation Of life from that of the
lowest vegetable form, up through ami
nal existence, to that OF man. Including
all his works and industries comes from
the sun so that man himself and all his
works are, in physical sense. strictly its
product
one Of the most curious and important
bBstrumeuts in the astrophysicaI observa-
tory is the bolOmeter, invented by Prof.
Langley. This is 4 delicate instrument
for measuring heat and consists of
metallic tape. usually about a third OF an
inch long. but narrower and far thinner
than human hair. through which an
electric current is kept constantly pass
ing. II is found that the slightest change
Ira the heat Which falls on this tape VIII
affect distant galvanometer connected
with il. 50 that as the effects Of vision are
no way concerned. but only Of heat. this
0EElCe may De compared. IElTatlNelE. To
an eye Which sees In the dark. Moreover.
as this thread can also be pointed with
extreme precision, as in the case OF a
vertical thread Of an ordinary transit in
strument. the greater sensitivenesS is ac-
ccmpaniea by corresponding accuracy
of. measurement
This instrument can indicate @ change
Of temperature OF oDe-m{lHGnth Of "a de-
gree. and 10 has the Incidental advantage
that IL can be pointed so as 10 tell within
a traction OF minute in what part II
the spectrum the change 10 which II is
GensltIVe IS found. This wonderfully
minute tape is moved through that pOr-
tiOn of the solar spectrum which is in
visible Here the minutest changes of
color are indicated by the gaIvauOmeter
needle. which IS controlled by the current
passing through the taDe. the darker
tints being colder. the lighter warmer.
thermometer could be constructed much
finer than human hair. from which ali
these indications could be read on such
an extended scale that the millionth part of
a degree would be visible. the thermometer
being moved through the spectrum and
falling or rising. according as It meets
one Of these dark and cold liUes or goes
into = warmer region. This rise or fall
indicates. then, the presence of such a
line whether the eye can see il or not,
and passing out OF the visible into the
Invisible region this method remains
trustworthy whore the eve and photOg-
raphy both fail
The solar spectrum "a should be under
stood by the uon-techniCal reader is mere
ly the prismauc rays into which the white
light Of the sun IS decompOsed by the spec
trOscOpe which throws them on z screen
This screen Is divided 10y lines which indi-
cate the presence Of certain Well-ascer-
tained chemical agents in the suns atmos-
phere. But there IS a certain portion Of
the spectrum which. before the invention
Of the bolOmeteT. IL was found impossible
10 aualyze By sight as the distinctions be