Evening star., 1925-10-11
By JAMES STOkLEY.

In recent years there has been
tendency to build great observatories
on mountains. One Of the first and
probably the best example of such
an institution is the Lick Observatory
Of the University of California, sit.
uated on Mount Hamilton. 4,2o9 feet
] above sea level. near San Jose. I'm
like the Mount Wilson Observatory.
near Pasadena. from which "Old
Baldr' and other peaks may be seen
towering higher in the distance. the
Noun. Hamilton observatory is on
the h;-'.est peak for many miles. and
from i may be seen, when the air
IS clear. the Sierra Nevadas. nearly
200 miles distant
The Lick Observatory was founded
by James Lick, San Francisco mil
lionalre. who died in 1876, and in
1888 scientific work was begun. Lick
founded it as a personal memorial
and it is truly such, for under the
cast-iron pier of the great s6-inch
refrac,ing telescope, in the masonry
base. are deposited his mortal re-
mains. and on the side a simple
bronze tablet proclaims, Here lies
James Lick" When built. this tele-
scope was the largest Of it's kind in
the world. and even today 1t Is ex.
ceeded in size by only one other. the
40-inch at the Yerkes Observatory
of the University of Chicago. How
ever, it is probable that the su.
periority Of the climate at the Lick
Observatory over that Of Wisconsin
more than compensates for the diff
ference in the size Of the lens.
Big Lens Gives Good Service.
Since the completion Of the OBJ.
servatory many famous astronomers
have used the great telescope, and
the excellence Of Its manufacture is
evidenced by the fact that since then
it has required no important repairs,
and is still apparently in as good
condition as when constructed.
One Of the chief researches that it
has been used for recently has been
to make spectrum photographs for
the preparation of a catalogue Of
rad1al velocities Of stars down to the
fifth magnitude. the limit Of naked
eye visibility. This catalogue. when
published, within a year or SO. Will
tell the astronomer just how fast
these stars are moving away from or
approaching the earth. It was be-
gun and much Of the work on It
SiilCc Was uOIle ny tIlo OlTcCtoI OL
the observatory. DIR. w. W. Campbell.
For the last two years, however, DR..
Campbell has been president Of the
University of California. and has been
| unable to give full time to its COM
pletion. DR.. ]. II. Moore, astrono.
mer at the observatory. is now CIV
ing most of his time TO the work.
Since the catalogue will include stars
not visible in the Northern Hemis-
phere. a large number Of the spec
trum photographs have been made by
the southern brapch Of the -observa-
| tory. located near Santiago, Chile.
Some of the photographs have been
made with the 36-inch rejecting tele-
scope at Mount Hamilton. -.
Seek Suns Destination.
The method consists of measuring
! the displacement of the dark lines
| which appear In the stars spectrum
| formed after its tight has been passed
| through a narrow SLIT and the proper
| combination of prisms and lenses.
From the amount and direction Of
| this displacement, the astronomer can
determine the radial velocity of the
star very accurately. within less than
mile . second. But the measures
Of the ra6ial yslocitisa af thasa StaZS