Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-03-04
WONDERS OF STARS SHOWN
Prof. G, W. Ritchey of Mount Wilson
Observatory Gives Lecture.
PHOTOS THROUGH BIG TELESCOPE
Explanation of Intricate Way Pie
lures of Heavenly bodies Are RE
produced on FiIms-HaIIey's
Comet Photographed.
PHOTOS THROUGH BIG TELESCOPE

isn't Venus beautiful tonight? That's
Orion over there"
These and many other familiar refer
ences TO the heavenly bodies were made
by those who heard Prof George w.
Rtchey, the noted astronomer, disclose
the mysteries OF the skies last night. The
observer at Mount Wilson talked to al
most a thousand people in Creighton uni
versity auditorium, telling of his work at
Pasadena with the largest telescope in
the world Many lantern slides were used
as Illustrations
Prof. Ritchey has lived in astronomy
nearly all his life He made his first pic
ture of the stars at IS and his latest
achievement was the huge instrument on
top of the towering California mountain.
Prof Ritchey showed by comparative pic
lures that America is far in advance of
the old world in photographng the
heavens. This is due largely to the greater
ingenuity Of American scientists in follow
ing heavenly bodies and lessening the vi
bration Of the telescope In use. 1t is often
necessary to take pictures with exposures
as long as twenty hours. Were not the
telescope to keep the stars in perfect
focus by the movement Of the earth the
result would be blurs and dashes.
AFN OnuerIuls
The wonderful pictures taken through
the greatest telescope yet made startle the
observer and overwhelm the intellect with
the infiniteness OF the solar system. Pic
lures OF planets were not shown, for the
reason that none have, ever been photo
graphed.
Clusters Of stars as photographed by
small-power telescopes were shown, often
looking like blurs OF white. When high
power pictures of these same groups were
shown it was seen that the spots were
really composed OF thousands and thou
sands of stars
Spiral clusters photographed by the high
power telescopes proved that millions of
miles beyond the planets were new con-
stelations in the making and led Prof.
Ritchey to observe that many astronomers
believe that "stars develop out of chaotic
nebulosity." He said. too, that many
astronomers believe the sun, which gives
heat to the earth. is only one OF the stars
Of the milky way, which to the average
mind must be a startling theory.
HALEY Comet Films.
Many pictures of Halley's comet were
also shown from the time It was first
discovered until It reached the point near
est the earth.
The lecture closed with marvellous pic
lures Of the moon, showing in clear detail
the enormous craters which cover the sur
face of the moon like warts Many OF
these were pointed out by name and were
made more realistic when their dimensions
were given in some instances as being more
than 100 miles in diameter and thousands
Of feet in depth. Then mere pin points
were pointed out as only one mile In
diameter.
In closing Prof. Ritchey commented upon
the spiral clusters far out in the infinite
as resembling not only the beautiful for
nations found in shells, but also that OF
our own stellar system, proving as he said
that all is the hand OF a master creator"