Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-30
SCIENTISTS LAUD
HALE'S INVENTION
Delegates to Solar Union Session
Inspect Instruments at Car
negie Observatory
Isnecial to The Herald

PASADENA, Aug. SO.-"A veritable
Eden for scientists" is the Santa Bar
bara street machine and instrument
shop and physical laboratory of the
Carnegie observatory, according to
members of the International Union
for Cooperation in Solar Research who
visited the institution yesterday. Ev-
cry one of the many scientists from
all over the world who are here to at
tend the fourth conference of the Solar
union visited the shops at some time
during the forenoon.
Those who did not express their sem
timents in words voiced their opinions
by their actions. The gathering was
strictly informal Each of the visitors
went at will through the shops and
selected for investigation the 1nstru-
ments, drawings or photographs In
which he is specially interested. Mem
bers of the staff of the local observa-
tory were on hand to explain details
where necessary. To judge from ac-
tions and expressions the local shops
and laboratory are considered among
the most complete in the world.
To a layman, and apparently to the
scientists, the spectre o-heliograph, In
vented by DR.. George E. Hale, dfrec-
tor of the local observatory, to photo
graph sun spots without waiting for
an eclipse, was the piece de resistance
worth travelling miles to. see. F. c.
Pease, craftsman and designer for DR..
Hale, explained the integral parts OF
the instrument and the blue prints
of the 150-foot tower in connection
with the spectro-heliograph will be
used
sPECTRO-HELIOGRAP EXPLAINED
DR.. Hale, who has been Ill for some
time from overwork, appeared at the
shops for a few minutes and he was
given an enthusiastic reception by
his fellow scientists. He explained to
eager listeners the workings of the
large spectrograph, the principal part
of the complete instrument. The
'status" of the spectre o-heliograph,
'in plain English" is as follows:
The instrument now under construc-
tion at the machine shops and almost
completed is an enlarger duplicate
of one which has been used success
fully on Mount Wilson. When it is
installed at the base of the 150-foot
tower on Mount Wilson the sun will be
photographed by means of reflections
from the top of the tower. Contrary
to general belief the observer does
not look into the instrument, but
bases his calculations upon study OF
the photographs, for the reason, as
stated by one of the scientists, that
"a photograph plate is more sensitive
than the human eye"
The elements of light reflected into
the spectrograph are diffused through
prisms. A spectrum of the sun and
another of the SUMS spots is taken
and the plates are compared to ascer-
tain by scientific means the relative
amount of gases or other substances
contained in the elements photo
gfaphed. Each streak or spot on the
plate, according to it's prominence, fur
nishes data for scientific deductions
according to known formulas.
SESSIONS ON MOUNTAIN
The party of scientists will leave
Pasadena this morning at s o'clock
for the journey to Mount Wilson,
where the business sessions Of the con-
ference will be held. There will be
two sessions daily on Wednesday,
Thursday and Friday to receive re-
ports of committees previously ap-
pointed for solar research, and to re-
celve suggestions and volunteers to
carry on specific work and report at
the next conference of the union. The
evenings on the mountain will be given
over to informal observations and dis
cussion. The party will start on the
return trip to Pasadena Saturday
morning at 8 o'clock.
The only address scheduled, aside
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