Evening star., 1928-03-18

! 4 IekiuIIS ol the MILKY way, are
i contained In the unique star
! atlas Just issued by the Carnegie
| Institution Of Washington after a life-
time of labor by one of the most dis
tinguished Of American astronomers.
Although these 100000 celestial
bodies, all comparable In Importance
with the sun. and some OF them rlou.
| sands OF times greater, constitute only
small portion Of the stellar universe
| they are representative of the entire
| stretch Of the heavens as seen through
| the telescope on clear night.
| The atlas consists Of 81 plates. Seven
/ hundred copies were issued. requiring a
total OF 35,700 Photographic prints to
| be made and mounted. since only origi-
nails were used. The making OF the
| prints by expert photographers and the
inspection OF each one by the author
| covered period of three years. The atlas
| Is expected TO prove one of the most
/ fundamental contributions TO the SCI
ence OF astronomy yet made In the
! United States. The photographs OF the
selected regions OF the Milky Way are
! expected 10 be Of value TO astronomers
/ for many years TO come. constantly re-
| vcaiing new facts upon closer and more
/ intelligent observation.
/ Although enormous progress has been
/ made In the study OF the skies, espe-
cially In respect TO that luminous tract
| o! the skies known as the Milky Way
| astronomers claim that only begin
/ ming has been made In the accumula-
ton OF knowledge regarding structure
/ oi the enormous area OF space In the
/ center Of which a tiny speck OF rock
water and gas on which the human
race lives circles around n larger gpeck
the sun. both moving together at enor-
nous speed toward an unknown destiny
| The photographs themselves were
taken by the late Prof Edward r. Bar
nard Of Yefkes Observatory. Uuiyersit,
| of Chicago. who for 80 years devoted
much OF his time 10 the Photographic
study OF the Milky Way Prof. Barnard
aa young man supported himself by
working In a Photographic establish
! ment, following astronomy al side
pursuit Thus he became an expert In
THIS held, He not only devised and
| supeflnlended the construction of the
| Photographic telescope which he used
| In making the pictures, but he person
ally selected every one Of the 81, TOO
! prints required for the atlas, rejecting
| hundreds which fell short OF the ex-
cellence he demanded.
Prof. Barnard died before the atlas
wss ready for publication. The task 0i
completing the project was undertaken
| and carried 10 It's conclusion by Or
Edwin is, Frost. director and Mary II
Calvert, assistant, of the Yerkea OBJ
| sefVat0ry. Not only did they decide on
| the f1nal form 0f publication. which
had been ietl unsettled, but they re.
examined each 0f The 81, 100 prints
numbering and regr0uping them for tht
bindefy. Besides this, they were Obliged
~ edit carefully many parts of the
ffagmentafy notes left by tbs author
and supervised the publication
The volume containing the photo.
graphs Is accompanied by Il key volume
consisting Of charts corresponding tf
the photographs, each to each. Ths
user 0f the atlas who wishes 10 make al
intensive study 0f particular photo.
graph opens both volumes at CORE
spending pages The key chart enables
him ~ identify all the principal objects
in The photograph n ALSO contains
much information IN compressed torn
about the region CageTed by H.
The stars pictured on ihe plate, o
course, are 81 numerous that all can,
not he labeled The astronomer mus
concentrate his attention on those out
standing celestial 0blecis which promis,
10 repay study with new information
on The marvellous mechanism which
keeps creation In operation, bringDl
, new stars out of great masses Of simos