Evening star., 1928-03-18

are million light years away, so far
that they can barely be detected by
the most powerful OF telescopes. OBJ
viously then. In arriving at conclusions
regarding the form and size OF the uni
verse, the nature and character of the
Milky Way have been of paramount i'm
| portance.
Indeed. so important Is 1t In the
estimation OF astronomers that thcv
use the central line of the Milky WAy
as a basic circle by which 10 designate
the location In the heavens OF various
celestial bodies. So they speak of
galactic longitudes and ATTITUDES as the
| gcographer speaks Of terrestrial long. :
tudes and latitudes. Galactic lonei.
ttde Is measured along this great cir
Gle. while galactic latitude is the dis
tance north and south of It,.
Irof. Barnard is quoted I'm thu in.
PRODUCTION to the atlas concerning the
carry period In his career during which
ne was occupied chiefly In searching
the skies foi comets and the begin
| nihgs OF his interest In the Milky Wav
an interest which absorbed much
time and thought during the remain
der OF his life.
The Milky Way" he said. ALWAYS
mas occn OF the deepest interest TO me
nay attention was first especially at
| tiacteo 10 Its peculiar features during
tne period OF my carly comet -seekirg
The searcher after comets sees more
tnan any other observer. To me tbc
views OF the galaxy we're the most
fascinating part OF comet seeking ami
more Than paid me for the many NIGHTS
OF unsuccessful work. II was these
views OF the great structures IN tho
oagittarins region OF the Milky Wav
that inspired me to desire TO photo.
sfanh tnese extraordinary features
PROBABLY The phase OF DR. Barnard's
"oIk. as embodicd In his remarkable
series OF photographs. which has
a... "a"uoeu tne greatest Interest among
so-called dark objects" which - r,ns .av
OF the plates show. A Catalogue ~ aaS
OF these stlll mysterious astronomicsi
eht'ties Is given In the atlas with ds.
hcriptlve comment. In MANY parts =,
the Milky Way, otherwise well marked
WIN stars. there are curious patches
ana ihneiike spaces running I'm irrs..
hihr directions which show no stars a.
ali. IL long was thought that these
ihky-black markings we're emptv snares
III The heavens and that the observsr
merely was looking through them intn
vacant deptha+ihat they were natchas
Oh me pflmevai nothingness out of
wiiloh originally came all creation
Whlle there may be such emptv snaces
thc majority OF these appearances nav
are denhitely believed 10 be due 10 dark
neblilae which conceal the stars he
yond "'
The credit OF establishing this bey,,a
reasonable doubt helnnea iareelv !"
frof' Barnard, although he did no, ho,I
| tllla view OF the markings when ths
atias was begun, There now annears
to be little doubt that these ohsr.,rng
clouds, which In certain instances nre
ni enormous proportions. are clouds of
dust particles SO fine as To screen etfec-
tliaiiy from view everything behind
them, The relation OF these cln,,S,
| 10 the stars, whether they are the par
enlh or the ofispring. Atill Is a matter of
| con lecture.
Through the death OF Prof. barnard
on February d. 1898. the world lost one
OF HIS greatest astronomers, according Ia
| 6mcialh of the Carnegie Institution, nr
George II. Hale, honorary director of
The Mount Wlis0n Observatory of the
Carnegie Institution Of Washington,
| says of him
Never aimee the days of Hefhehel
| has there been such au eager observer
of such a living htnrehonse at ceieatla,
knowledge, lie constantly watched the
| heavens and never loat an opportunitv,
hawever slight, 10 ktiidy their changing
phenomena. Although his observations