The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-01-27

Tho .,trcr-tor. ~ the u.v astronomical
uh-srN atoty ~ allegheny. ra was lgii,
With appropriate ,cr"uuui'-, uu prt
80. lsst. and The addr".s hy MIR y \
Brashrar. pn- ~ the trustees. has just been
printed Tho observatory building Ia -
handsome structure. surWoprf"i hv thrc"
domes. commanding an extended view
Tho great dome l.. Intended 'o contain a
lifs. r-troh equatorial ivhirh Be- =" he made
hN Mr. BrashearI. while the smaller iumo-
Win cover. one. a r"Hr,tlug '"l"~'op" and
the other tn old li-iu,h fltl equatorial.
with which such memorial l" work has been
done bv 'h- former tirector-, prof Lang
lev ard keel"r Al ",,elleut provision l.
made ir the regulations 81 the Institution.
hv winch M" i'-lnch Telescope Is 10 be de-
voted - the ~" ~ visiting astronomers
and students ~ science Nny one who has
research requiring % powerful telescope.
and has not access to such an in-trl-
rcut can make arrangements With tho tru--
tee. FOR 10 ~" Ia" snwe oncr was made
~ the astronomers Of IN" world when the
It,. uhs.rvttorv was established In lsss.
and several researches ~ importance re-
suited from this liberal policy. Tho astro-
nomlcAl work shop OF MIR Brashoar. willie
having no oN1cidl connection with the Al
leghenv Observatory. has always been In
close relations To- II MIR Thaw literally
.uhsidiled these works during hs lifetime.
and left them to Mir BrasheIr az his death
Here have been made the collections ~ APP
paratus used 10y Prot- Langley, Rowland.
Nicholson and others In their delicate re-
searches In heat and optics, tho great spec
trogrnphs NJ The Nsrkes and Lick ob.er-
vatories. and "A large number Of excellent
rejecting and refrHcting telescopes For
many years the greatest makers ~ a>tronom-
ical object rlns.e. were tho firm Of Avian
Clark h Son. in Cambridge Instruments
81 equal excellence are made at Allegheny.
and America still retains her supremacy
In work ~ the sort The history Of the Al
legheny observatory IL n long and honor
able ono. and under the improved conditions
We may look for a continuance OF useful and
Important work
An ENORMOUS M~FTToHfTR.
Measures ~ the great meteorits that fell
In Porto Allegro. Brazil. have lately como 20
hand and show that Tia Dimensions were
II metres 80 feet at tho has" by % metres
1875 feet, In height. This Is the largest mo
teori,e known
sPIcrnocRArHic ANALYSIS or IRON MyrroR-
rvs.
Nie..rs Hartley and anna have annly zed
the different species Of metcorites With the
object Of tahula,inC their characteristic
differences. ,ourer. lead and silver usually
occur In meteoric irons In VARYING proper
tions a. IL the case In manufactured Irons
MISC. Gnllium Ia found In warning quantities
IN all meteorio irons. though not In all me-
~teorites. Sodium. calcium. and ruhidinm
are found only In minute quantities In the
irons Chromium and manganese are found
in the meteoric stones. though not In the
Irons Nickel IL found In oil specimens
Iron. Of terrestrial or gin can be distinguished
from meteorlc irons by IN" absence Of nickel
and by tho presence 81 manganese a test Of
importance.
NFw THEORY oF v.HIARLr SrAUs
A periodic variation in tho HIGHT ~ stars
hns been explained In various WAYS and.
no doubt, different stars vary In Hight on nc
count 81 different causes NJ \ Spuleyre
presents n new explanation which has n Ger
tain interest lie suggests that all observed
phenomena OF variable stars can toe explained
II We suppose such stars tn b" ~ the general
form Of the planet saturn. / -. To consist
Of a central self luminous globe surrounded by
nat rings rotating nr-t about an axis p"rpcn-
dIcular 10 their plane. md second about au
axis inclined To- the first. \ com
az these two motions IL -uNc'ent
To account for all the variety of observed |
variations ~ light in all p~rsNtlc periods
TuF rprECT or TIN DISTRIBUTION OF LAND
AND WATER on 1HF MATHEMATICAL
Theory OF THR EARTH.
The theory Of the figure 81 tho earth and
pf it, rotation ha- been studied since the
81 SIR Isaac Newton. both nv calcium.
and by observation. Within the last few
ears We have seen great discoveries result
.ng for example. Dr. = e Chambers dis
rovery that the latitude Of n place. one. sup
posed ~ be a fixed quantity, l.. in fact. vsria-
bic accordins To- scompler Law In the same
II was formerly tab en- FOR granted that the
lime required for IN" earth IN rotate on its
axis was = constant throughout centuries,
Tho mathematical questions involved cannot
be even referred Ia here. but It will give
idea VI the present state of the question