Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-05-20
BY ARTHUR JAMES.

r you happen to be passing along
Massachusetts avenue some
Thursday evening and see sew
eral persons vending their way
toward the naval observatory, do not
think that they are merely taking a
stroll In the early part of the night,
for the chances are that they are
going to spend the evening with
Prof. George H. Peters, who has
charge of the twelye-inch telescope.
The good folks that are enjoying the
soft lights of early night are, ere
long, going to have the pleasure of
viewing the stars at close range, for
the big tube brings these heavenly
bodies SO close that it seems almost
as If you could reach around the
telescope and put your hands on
some of the wonderful things that
are really millions of miles away.
The men and women who are to
have an interesting evening go
through the portals of the great
white building that provides. the ex-
ecutive offices of those who conduct
the affairs of the naval observatory.
A courteous attendant receives you
at the door, and when you have pre-
scented the little card that has been
issued to you, he tells you to register
your name in the book. While wait
ing You may wander along the hall
way and look at the many wonder
full photographs that have been taken
of the stars, for Prof. Peters. with the
aid of modern science, has been able
to photograph the great bodies that
are set in the skies above.
Here and there you will notice pic
lures that really appear to be crea-
tions of fancy. the sort that poets
used to, write about. 5buts nowadays
men of science catch them in their
grasp and record their appearance
on plates of glass from WHICH prints
can be made in order that the gen.
erations of today and those to come
will see, without labor, the many
interesting phenomena of stars,
planets, moon, sun and other objects
that remained. for many years,
mystery to mankind.
4 u x
XyOU have been looking at these
interesting pictures and the time
has flown. Now you hear the call to
come up to the room occupied by the
savant and his big tube. for most of
the time. when the rest of the world
is sleeping, is spent there by the man
who catches the bright bodies of the
sky for us. He is ever watching the
astral bodies above us, and Is taking
photographs in order that we may
study, at our leisure. the things that
are no longer elements of mystery.
Night after night, when the mantel
of darkness has descended like a
velvety cloak on the city, you will
find the custodian of the"12-inch"
searching the heavens for data that
will be of benefit to mankind. No
matter how warm or how cold the
night might be. when the stars are
out you will find him working, ever
searching the great field of blue
above us-the thing that we laymen
call the sky.
You take the elevator at the end
of the corridor and Gustav Harrison.
who assists the professor on Thurs
day nights. meets you and indicates
that you are to take your place on one
side of the round room. Above you
Is a slit In the roof and through
It points the telescope. 1t is a dig
nified looking piece of mechanism.
and you can almost imagine it
chuckling to itself and saying, with
out me these mortals could not really
see anything" is true, for before
Calico. a native of Pisa, Italy, made
a telescope in 1909, mankind could
not really see the stars. The discov-
cry of Jupiter's satellites was made
a year later by Calico, and about the
same time he made known to the
world the fact that. there were sun
spots. a discovery that has been of
much interest to scientists.
For those who are interested in the
career Of this illustrous son of Italy,
1t might be added that he also made
a thermometer in 1897.
The full complement of invited
visitors having arrived. for you must
have a card to be admitted, Prof.
Peters takes his place at the eye