The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1919-08-12
lOl-INCH LENS TO
RECORD SUNS RAYS
HUCEST TELESCOPE, TAKING 2
YEARS TO BUILD, INSTALLED.
EXPECT GREAT THINGS.

attended the recent convention mere
of the Pacific division of the Amerl-
can Association for the Advance
ment of Science announced their eX-
pectations of important scientific dis
coveries through the huge lens at the
Mount Wilson Solar Observatory
which they assisted in formally open
ing.
DIR. George E. Hale, planner,
founder and builder of the institu-
ton, presided at the formal ceremo-
MES which marked the elimination
of nine years. of intense effort IN the
interest of science.
Edgar Lucien Larkin, director of
the Mount Lowe Observatory, also
near this city, has just made public
an article in which he explained the
great work of Dr.. Hale and the re-
suits other scientists expect from 1T.
"Years of mathematical work,
wrote DR.. Larkin, computing and
analyzing geometrical curvature OF
the huge mirrors and lenses, coelo-
state revolving mirrors, attracting,
grating spectorhellographs, specto-
graphs, photometers and wilderness
of electrical apparatus beyond the
imagination of men fifteen years ago,
astonish the beholder beneath the
great white dome covering the 100
inch and the 60-inch telescopes"
1OO-Inch Mirror.
The entire astronomical world,
continues Dr. Larkin, was startled
when DIR. Hale proposed mirror
having a diameter of 100 inches.
Making Of the 60-inch mirror had
taxed the resources of the skill of
man to date. Some one said: ga 100
inch lens cannot be made" But the
larger mirror is 1O1 inches in light
gathering diameter.
DR.. Larkin continues:
"The square of 60 is $500 and OF
1O1 10,201, the difference being
measure of excess light secured with
which to form images of object in
that priceless place-the focal OF
concave mirror or convex lens.
"The discovery that light could
write on sensitive negative plates,
the new science of photography
light writing-was one of the most
valuable ever made. This science has
greatly displaced visual astronomy.
The work of making the lens pro-
ceeded for two years." says DR.. Lar
kin, "before it began to assume the
proper curvature. Finally the deli
cate polish was completed and then
the process of depositing the pure
silver film on the face of the mirror
began. 1t was made in st. Gobaln,
France.
DAVIS Journey to Height.
"AIl scientific eyes," he continued,
.'were theoretically watching in nerv-
Gus expectancy the eventful day
when the giant mirror began its as
cent from the shops in Pasadena to
the summit of the mountain Every
possible care had been taken to avoid
accidents. Early in the morning the
momentous journey upward over the
steep roads began and continued I'M
til nightfall, when the precious eye
at last rested in safety on the high
summit.
"The curvature of the mirror is
perfect, we'll within the limits OF the
! lengths of the shortest ultraviolet
energy waves that can be produced
in modern photography.
astronomers are watching the
discoveries to be made in photography
of spiral nebulae. There may, be IS
land universes, other congenies far
and away beyond the confines of our
universe of a billion suns within that
band of suns-the Milky Way. The
world is now looking to the observa-
tory for photographs of thousands OF
clusters of suns and thousands or
nobulae. but the interest is conferred
on the mysterious spirals. Photo
graphs of their spectra will be sent
to all other observatories so that all
NAV know the composition of hellum,
hydrogen and other elements IN prl-
,ooyo1 etates of matter"