The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-12-14
NEV PHOTOGRAPHS
0F TIE STARS
DR.. Richey Of Chicago UolVer-
sity Making Notable Progress.
SUPERIORITY OF METHOD
Study in Astronomy Greatly
Facilitated by 1t.

heavenly baOdleS and Won0erIul pnOto'
graphs in the world Of stars, moon, ne
bulae and other celestial objects have
recently been made by Professor G. W
Ritchey. of the University of Chicago
For eighteen years he has been working
assiduously on the subject Of asrono-
rnicaI photography, but it is only COM
parativeIy lately that he has gained
such remarkable results. His achieve
rnents are widely known among astron-
omers and his writings in scientific jour
nails have been many. says the New York
Herald
Mr Ritchey believes that astronomical
photography, despite the wonders already
70 his credit. has scarcely passed beyond
the experimental state. He thinks that
with a new rejecting telescope which he
Is constructing at the Yerkes Observa-
able 10 photograph stars fifty times faint
or than those now visible in the 40-inch
Fefrsctor in the great telescope in the
Terkes Observatory.
That the splendid magnitude of the
wondrous new universe which viii be
put in Photographic sight of astronomers.
81 M Ritchey's plans prove successful.
xii contain new worlds and disclose re-
naarkable celestial objects, few scientists
doubt. Already Mr. Ritchey has taken
photographs Of stars ten thousand times
fainter than the faintest now visible TO
the naked eye.
1t is, TOO, Mr.. Ritcheys suggestion,
though by no means his firm belief that
spinning through space are perhaps other
planets in d similar state Of evolution TO
the earth and likewise inhabited. Wheth-
or the people Of this planet by any means
will ever be able TO solve even in part
the hidden mysteries of the astronomical
universe Mr.. Ritchey viii not even sug-
gest. Few astronomers do not hesitate
90 say that under the new revelations
which astronomical photography doubt
less holds for the future it is likely that
problems in the evolution Of the starry
universe may be solved that now are per
haps but half guessed at
Mr. Ritchey was in New York last week
and lectured at Columbia University and
al the Academy Of Sciences. Friday night
he spoke at Vassar and viii soon deliver
n lecture before the girls of Wellesley
College. While in town Mr.. Ritchey
consented to talk to me in regard to the
recent developments is astronomical pho
Biography.
Photography. according to Mr.. Ritchey,
has been seriously used in astronomy for
only about twenty years. although there
was some important pioneer work done
nearly forty years ago by Henry Draper
and Lewis Rutherford. of this city. BY
photographing the heavenly bodies as
tronomers are enabled to study and mea-
sure them at their leisure while by the
old visual method they must be mea-
sured by the micrometer, an instrument
attached to the telescope at the time of
observation. Where it might take every
night, with good atmospheric conditions.
for year to make certain observations
and measurements by the old method,
now a photograph can be taken in one
fine night and from it measurements and
observations may be recorded at leisure.
It is a mistake. Mr.. Ritchey says. to
assert that photography has superseded
the visual method in all kinds of as
Economical work. Each method has its
particular field of usefulness and each
supplements and stimulates the other.
The visual method is still superior in
many lines. In the study of bright heav-
emily bodies, such as the moon planets
snu double stars, because Of their bril-
lance. il is possible TO see smaller de-
tails through the telescope directly than
can be photographed. In the study of
faint bodies astronomical photography
4 ed n
important results
Photographs can be taken of faint stars
and nebulae such as are invisible 10 the
naked eye or to the eve when reinforced
by the greatest telescope Photography
depicts with accuracy heavenly bodies
which are beyond reach Of investiga-
ton by any other means. Much more
accurate details Of considerations can be
obtained by photography than could for
merly be obtained by Inaccurate drawings
made after years Of observation
one OF the most important things that
Astronomical Photography has lately done
was to discover about year ago the
new nebulae around the star Perseus.
BY photography a nebulae vas discoy-
cred which had never before been visible
were taken night after night OF this ne
bula, and by comparing them 1t was
seen that the nebula changed its form
from time TO time. Never before in the
history of astronomy had nebula been
known 70 Go this This. therefore Is
At least one triumph that can be set
down to the credit OF the new method az
studying celestial objects
In this connection Il is interesting Ia
see some photographs which BIr. Ritcbev
has made of the central parts Of the great
nehuiae IN Andromeda and 10 COMPARE
them with drawings of the same nehl,Is
made years ago before The advent Of As.
Economical photographs. bv John Her
schel. famous English astronomer Her.
schel spent years of almost michtx Study
in making these drawings. in IRE hope
that II the nebula did change in The DAVIS
10 come. such changes might be noted
hy astronomers of the future with his
drawings IS "A basis Of comparison II Is
almost pathetic to compare the sncssnt
drawing with the modern photograph
Where The drawing IS crude inaccurate
coarse the photograph IS pcrfsct In ~
cry point and shows every DEAN ~ -ha
gosssmer Ike appearance % The rebtla
IN The ferkes Observatory ~ the MI
versity 81 Chicago. where 1ir. Ritchsv
IS stationed as instructor in nrae-s-sl
astronomy and superlntendert III iastrt,-
nent construction .there Is telercaoe
with fo-inch lens. which is the iarges-
equatorially mounted tsisscone IN the
world. The famous telescoIfe In the Ifcs
Observatory BE California. has s6-inef
lens. The Lick Observatory. however
has an advantage in that the atmosphere
A. clearer In California ana f~aer from