The Iola register., 1901-08-30
pHoToeRApHINe BY VENUS.
Pictures Made by Reelected Light
After Journey of 10O,OOO,-
900 Miles.

l,
graphs by himself, certain recent ex-
periments he has made in pho
tographing scenery and people by
the light of the planet Venus.
Photographing by Venus light
sounds strange, indeed, but it is an
accomplished fact. BY this is not
meant the photographing of the inn
age of the planet itself through the
intervention of the telescope or cam
era, but the use of the simple, direct
rays from Venus, just as they come
from the planet. These direct rays,
when allowed to fall upon a sensitive
plate, in front of and in contact with
which negative or positive, photo
graphic or otherwise, is placed, are |
sufficiently actinic to reproduce ina
turally in reverse) the image of such |
negative or positive, and with a
wealth of detail quite remarkable.
My pictures illustrate some of the
work done, in the manner described,
by the agency of the light from this
most charming of planets
Queen of beauty.
Star of the Evening, beautiful Star.
These experiments were not, how
ever, conducted when Venus was
evening star" but in its more recent
phase as morning star"
The ancents, by the way, did not
understand that Venus as our beau
tiful morning and evening star was
one and the same planet. It's move
ments were great puzzle to them.
They called it Hesperus as evening
star, and when on the other side of
the sun they called it Phosphorus,
Son of the Morning. The wise Pytha-
goras, however, perceived and taught
that these two names belonged to
the same planet, as. by its revolu-
tions, it appeared alternately upon
the eastern or western side of our
great central luminary.
Venus became morning star upon
che sth of July, 1900, and reached its
greatest elongaton from the sun
about 40 degrces-on the 18th of
September. 1t was soon after this
; that the experiments herein Illus
trated were begun, being some time
after the planet had reached its
greatest brilliancy. The remarkable
success attending the very first ex-
pertinent was a pleasant and gratify-
ing surprise.
It is well known that objects placed
in the path of the rays of light COM
ing from Venus when brightest will
cast distinct shadows. These are
very sharp and well defined when re-
ceived upon a white surface. The
shadow of ones hand, for instance,
even when held some distance from
: white card or paper, is remarkably
distinct in outline. This sharpness
{ of definition will be readily under
stood when we remember that the
J light from Venus is cmanating from
almost a point as viewed from the
earth so distant is the planet
MY attention has often been att
tracted by this in the dark dome OF
the observatory. when the open shut
ter has been directed toward Venus.
; On the western, inside wall of the
! observatory, and, of course. facing
y the east. are number OF tables of
y, standard stars and prominent clus-
ters and ncbulac. These are on
, white cardboard, and. as
i passed and repassed them in my
{ work, a perfect silhouette was cast
y upon these cards, showing the dis
u tinctive brightness of this far-away
light.
} Was this light of sufficient actiniC
: intensity to affect the Photographic
plate? The thought rested with me
j. for some time, and at length | de
cided to make the test
A piece of clear glass was placed
in Photographic printing frame, or
. which was laid piece of lace; OF
q this, in turn, gelatine dry plate was
= placed, and the back of the fran,
e was closed, pressing all into contact
n In another frame "A plate was PLACED
h in contact with a landscape negative
n The two plates were exposed side by
Z side to the rays of light coming from
. Venus through the open shutter o
|, the observatory dome. All Other
IS light was carefully excluded eXcep
le that which came from the planet
If and the exposure was made at the
g. darkest hour of the night, aftel
). Venus had arisen, and before the ap
u proach of dawn. The time of expos
y ure was about 35 minutes.
=, Pictures were successfully made Il
e the next trial, two mornings later
Numerous other pictures We're mad
in much the same way. In SOM
i; cases the negative was made from
" transparency, in others "A positv
" from "A negative solely by Nenu
light, This positive was reproduce
into "A negative, from which tn
" prints were made by the usual meth
II ods. The exposures were from 30 (
y. As minutes, according to the densit
l. of the negative and the clearness O
n the sky In all cases the plate
m proved to be fully timed, the chem
= ical action being much stronger tha
- was anticipated.
w The lights by which these eXper
,,o ments were made proceeded frs
~ from the sun to Venus, and was the
=. f,o,,, Nanuc IN itG nninh bOI