The sun., 1901-11-21
HOW WORLDS ARE MADE
Proof of Nebular Theory Believed to
Be Obtained.
ASTRONOMERS FINE WORK.
Professor Ritchcy of YerIses Obsery-
ntory Has obtained photographs
Showing That Nebuiie of New
Star Have Moved.

Chicago, Nov. 20.-PrOfess0r Ritchey
of Yerkes observatory is reported TO I
have made a discovery in astronomy
which will make himself and the OBJ
seryatory world famous. The discov-
cry, in brief, is the proof of the nebu.
lar theory, and Professor Rltchey
thinks he has reduced to a matter of
certitude what has heretofore been
merely a brilliant hypothesis It is
claimed that he has done this by OBJ
tanning Photographic evidence Of evolu-
tion among the planetary bodies.
The Yerkes observatory is part of
the University of Chicago, though To-
Gated Mt Williams Bay, Lake Geneva,
Wis. 1t was endowed by the multimil-
llonaire street railway magnate. Charles
Il. Yerkes of this city, who is at pres
ent in London seeking to revolutionize
British methods Of urban transporta-
tion.
Professor Ritchey's observations, it
Is claimed, not only prove the truth of
the nebular theory of creation an
nounced by the famous Frenchnan,
Ia Place. and of the widely entertain
ed belief that the solar system and
even star clusters have been formed by
millions of years of slow evolution
from great bodies of gaseous matter
floating in the inconceivable ahysses
of space, but also prove that nebula,
with a star for nucleus, changes its
shape and the quantity of light 1t
emits and that these changes are so
rapid as to be observable within the
compass of a few hours.
Astronomers have long believed that
the nubula were the matrices of solar
systems and star clusters like our own
but no observer had been able to sec
The slightest sign of change in the
structure. This has now been done by
Professor Ritchey, who is busily en-
gagged in preparing for the Technical
journals an announcement of his dis
coyery.'
Nova of Perseus His study.
The celestial object upon which Pro
fessor Ritchey has made his obserya
tions is the mysterious star Nova o
Perseus, which suddenly appeared las
February in the northern sky, blaZln
with strange light in a place wher
light rapidly increased until it becam
star of the first magnitude. Then
gradually faded away, until now 1t
only of the sixteenth magnitude. a
present it is altogether invisible to til
una ided vision
On the night of Sept. 90 Professc
Ritchey photographed Nova of Perseu
by means of the twenty-four inch y
flector at the observatory. The neg:
tive disclosed the fact that the st;
was surrounded by nebula, fa'
which had been previously shown /
another observer. But on the pla
made by Professor Ritchey, after 8
exposure of three hours and fifty mi
utes, there We're two fairly dense wisl
of nebulosity toward the west, with
curve to the north merging into u
convolutions of the nebula.
This was a startling fact, but Pi
fessor Ritchey patiently waited for
favorable night to secure another neg
tive, The looked for opportunity cal
last Wednesday night, Nov. 13, VIII
for seven hours Professor Ritchey {
posed his plate to the light of the NJ!
teriouS star
When he looked at the negative,
observed fact in which he mt or
recognized the prodG3so long soug
and so ardently wished for by (
servers everywhere. The spots of d.
sity in the west field of the nebl
had moved Never before had t
fact been found, and Professor Ritcl
at once saw the Importance of the
coyery.