Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1910-04-25
ASTRONOMERS ARE
WATCHING Comet
.Sixty..lnch Reflector Is
Set Up And Is Ready
For Use

equipped observatory for optical space |
for refined and effective |
work. and for elaborate |
spectroscopic research In the United |
States, and perhaps on the globe. Its |
high elevation leaves more than a mile |
Of the densest portion of the atmos. |
phere below It, and a corresponding |
purity Of air and good seeing" pre-
walls.
Its low latitude gives II n wider
and richer zone OF stars south of the
celestial equator than any other large
OF the northern hemis-
phere. The prevailing sunny days,
and the clear night skies. enable OBJ
servers to use their splendid equip
ment more days In the year than those
located in less favored countries on
either side of the Atlantic.
The great 60-inch reflector, the larg.
est and hest mounted In the world.
was completed and first used for OBJ.
servations In December 1908. The
nelnlae thus far photographed include
the great nebula In Orion. the great
ne bnia In Andromeda, the Pleiades. the
Ring Nebula IN Lyra. the Dumb Bell
Nebula. and several others.
!, Is anticipated that spectroscopic
observations OF Arcturus will enable
the astronomer to determine the pres
sure Of the atmosphere: q result which
would be as important as II would be
gratifying. Prof. Kaptevn has been
investigating what he calls the selec-
tive loss OF light In its progress
through space. He has come to the
Ans .ta IN
distant ones, or rather, that the light
OF any star when removed to great
err distance VIII tend to show red In
consequence OF the absorption Of the
other rays by interstellar space.
The grinding of the lens of the
great GO-inch reflector. and the con.
struction of the heavy. complicated
mounting OF the same, occupied many
months OF incessant labor at the Pa.
sadena laboratory, after which they
were transported up the steep noun.
tain road on specially devised motor
vehicles. They were finally housed In
the steel building and dome and have
been doing splendid service during the
past year.
A double tower, $50 feet In height
has been constructed for what Is call
| ed the tower telescope; that is, Q
supporting tower ON q deep and firm
foundation. is surrounded by II discon
nected external tower to prevent vibra
| lions from air currents. also to aid IL
insuring equable temperature.
! Amongst other important observator
les may be mentioned the Lowell OBJ
servatory located at Flagstaff In tn,
north central portion OF Arizona. on {
mesa having an altitude slightly ex
ceeding 1000 feet. being the highes
observatory elevation IN the United
States. II is equipped with one o
the few very large refractors Of tn,
world-its objective having n 24-incl
| aperture. With this great instrumen
| the director, DIR. Percival Lowell. bro
Their of the present head of Harvard
| University, has made observations tina
are epoch.making In their Importance
| The Lowell Observatory is locate,
on Echo Mountain at an altitude o
5000 feet, and has refractor of 16-incl
| aperture, which does very good worl
under the management OF Prof Edga
/ r. Larkin, who succeeded the veteran
astronomer, Lewis Swift. few year
uBOs lUt NtitntoDt IN bDtH w wv
public on Saturday and Sunday even
ings OF each week.
An observatory with an S-inch equat
orial refractor capable OF doing re
search work has been established a
Tucson, In connection with the I'M
versity OF Arizona. Pomona Colleg
has small but well equipped obser
vatory. II has an excellent refractor
with an S.inch object glass. Much O
this data appeared in the Mid-Winte
edition OF the Los Angeles Times III
der the signature of William Il
Knight.
The PERSONAL OF the observator.
which includes Prof. Ferdinand Ellie
man. who Is now In this city to TAX
photographs Of Halley's comet is a
follows:
DR.. George f. Hale, Ph.D., FRS
director.
Prof w. s. Adams. in charge OF tn
newly organized department OF stella
spectroscopv.
Prof. f. II. Sears. superintendent
the computing division.
DR.. Arthur u. King. superintendeI
of the physical division.
Prof. q. w. Ritchley. directs IN
work of the optical shop.
Ferdinand Ellerman In charge :
the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF the Sno
and tower telescopes.
DR.. G.. T., st. John, engaged IN 4
vestlgating and photographlng certal
phases Of the solar atmc sphere.
!. II. ID. Babcock. formerly OF the N
tional Bureau of Standards. occuplt
with stellar photography In come
ton with the sixtyinch reflector.
Or. Il. A. Faith, engafed in pilot
= graphing the spectra Of nebulae al
star clusters.
DR.. C. NJ. Olmstead, engaged In Il
Pasadena laboratory of the observ
tory.
w. I. Way. assistant in producil
. photographs with the fiye-foot spectr
heliograph.
The Misses Ware. Lasby. Smith. BIZ
well Wickham and Waterman are Q
: gagged in various duties Connected wi
the computing division.
III Director Hale spent several mont
| OF the past season In Europe, whel
as president of the International
n -