The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1911-02-24
LENSES REVEAL
/ WORLD BUILDING
Creation Of New Planet Seen
From Los Angeles.
PHOTOGRAPHS SHOW PROCESS

SwirIine Mass of Gases Five Hundred
Billion Miles In Diameter Now
Throwing OF Matter That When Cool
May Become Inhabited Like the
Earth, Astronomers Assert.
The powerful reflection mirror OF the
Mount Wilson sixty inch telescope,
near Los Angeles, has found and pho
tographed a swlrling mass of gases
6O0,0O0,O00,O00 miles in diameter in the
act Of throwing off new world
The photograph shows a spiral nebu
ia, apparently disproving the nebular
hypothesis OF the famous French as
Aronomer La Place and substantiating
Ghe more recent nebular hypothesis OF
Professor Chamberlain OF Chicago uni
Nersity.
This photograph is by far the most
distinct photograph of a spiral nebula
ever taken 1t was taken by Professor
G. W. Ritchey Of the observatory staff
Chamberlain and his colleagues recent
iy evolved the theory Of a spiral nebu-
Ia whipping from its gaseous masses
matter to become its satellites These,
cooling. will become planets and may
Become inhabitable like the earth.
The spiral nebula In the Mount VIII
son photograph is known to scientists
as Messier 81. according to the chart
of the French scientist Messier.
Invisible TO Naked Eye.
Using the lower limit or most con
sentative base of figures, 1t is calculat-
ed to be 5.S65, COG 100000 miles from
earth. Not even the faintest glimmer
of Its light can be seen from earth by
the naked eye. To the smaller tele-
scopes 1t seems a blur-hazy, without
form or shape.
The new world or sun, which scien-
fists on Mount Wilson have photo
graphed pendant from the parent mass
10y one of the luminous branches, be-
cause Of It's density will be whipped
clear. 1t is now some 10000, 100000
miles from the central luminous area
pr the larger nebula. 1t may itself
become an Independent nebula and
roam in that section of the flrmament
occupied by the spiral nebua'A 'rom
which it sprang.
More probably, say scientists, the
larger body viii hold 1t In attraction
TO regular elliptical orbit
Walter S. Adams OF the Mount VIII
son solar observatory Of the Carnegie
institution discussed the nebua theory.
Mr.. Adams is in charge of the observ-
atory during the absence of its direc-
tor, DR.. George Ellery Hale. who is In
Egypt
Can't Prove Theory
eve have not time to prove any
hypothesis" said MIR. Adams. at would
require thousands Of years to observe
definite change in any of the Iebulae
But we find many more of tIN spiral
nebulae than of the other variety.
1.-THE nebula we have photographed
is one of the comparatively few of
which broadslde views can be obtained
and is really remarkable This neb-
ula is undoubtedly composed of gas
eous and possibly liquid substances
like the sun. With the sixty inch tele-
scope we hope before long to obtain a
spectrum which will decide the ques-
zion. The light is, however. so ex-
tremely faint that an exposure of
hours will be necessary.
1.-THE 100 inch reflector will have
nearly three times the light gathering
power possessed by the sixty inch in
strument, and with it we should be
able readily to obtain a spectrum OF
Nhe central mass for analysis giving us
the chemical cOmponents of the neb-
MIA"