St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1903-05-09

courses here. Former Director E. S.
Holden said: "Great instruments Of
this class require serene and quiet
air, in order that they may do
their best work. On Mount Hamilton
the air is quiet and clear from May un-
til November; the stars do not twinkle;
the highest magnifying powers can be
employed"
The clock mechanism which fur.
nishes time to the whole Pacific slope,
and without which nearly all astro-
nomical calculations would be impos-
sible, is worthy of careful examination.
From Seattle to Ell Paso and all the M
termediate stations, at one minute be-
fore noon, each day, the time is flashed.
In the meridian circle room, the tram
sit instrument is swung between two
piers, on an axis, directly east and
west. The faintest tremors of an
earthquake, hundreds of miles away,
are often noticed by their interference
with the delicate poise of this instru-
ment, by means of which the exact po-
sition OF the observatory was first de-
termined. This known, the positions of
unknown stars since discovered and re-
discovered have been calculated.
One of the strangest facts brought
to light by the transit telescope is that
the earth's equator is not at all fixed
line, but that it moves constantly, so
that in our own homes we are some
times nearer to and sometimes farther
from it. If the north pole be
ever discovered, it will be found
meandering in circle, with diam
eter of about 12O feet, to no one spot Of
which does it return oftener than once
in each 400 days. This has accounted for
slight errors in observations, hereto
fore unexplainable. Il is estimated
that there are 100000 stars within the
range of the Lick telescope. One of
these, called by astronomers "Groom-
bridge, No. $780," or the runaway
star" is travelling at rate of about
200 miles per second, but will require
nearly 100000 years to cross the half
circuit of the heavens. Our own sun
land its attendant planets) is moving
at much slower rate, and is said to
be heading for proximity to the bright-
est star in the northern sky, Vega,
which, in the summer months, may be
seen, beautiful blue radiance, near
the zenith. In winter, Vega is near the
horizon, setting at about nine p. m.
Vega has two faint attendants, and all
are in the constellation Lyra. Epsilon
Lvrae Four and Five" is one of the
faint points of light. 1t is double
star, and is directly in the path through
which our sun is drawing us. Vega is,
in reality, quadruple star. When
ones eve leaves the telescope and takes
in his ra Their grewsome night surround
ings, emerging into the chill night air
and taking his place behind impatient
horses which seem to rush recklessly
along through the darkness, around
curve after curve, at one time on
ledge hundreds of feet above the near
ests tree tops, the next moment with
the high walls of canyon on either
side. he finds that decided change has
taken place in his sensations. A nights
sleep contributes even more to restora-
ton to the facts of everyday exist
ence and one gladly takes the train
which bears him back again, past the
desert wastes, to the fields where the
eve is gladdened not so much by the
olories of countless stars by night as
by the golden glow OF myriads of pop
MES. stars terrestrial.
EDWARD JULIAN.