Evening star., 1928-03-18
Carnegie Atlas to Picture Stars

infinitely tenuous gas. bringing them
through stages Of great size and heat
into condition somewhat like that OF
our sun, and finally causing them to
disappear as black. hcatleSs masses.
possibly TO be resolved into tenuous gas
again and reappear as part OF the con-
stituents OF new stars. The plates pre-
sent the picture as seen through pow
ertul telescope. which shows the frothy
path OF the Milky Way really TO be an
enormous mass Of points of light
Prof. Barnard was tirelesS in prose
cutting his Photographic study OF the
Milky Way after he obtained a suitable
telescope. AS result OF his labor
principally at the Yerkes Observatory
but for time at the Carnegie Institu
ton Observatory on Mount Wilson, he
obtained 1000 splendid plates. It Is
estimated that certain OF these plates
record half a million star images, while
II is probable that nj least 5000, ,00O
stars are shown In the atlas.
Thls series OF plates constitutes q
rich field. DR.. Frost asserts, for the in
vestigation OF star movements, for the
discovery OF variable stars. and for the
statistical study Of the structure OF the
universe. He believes that an exhaus-
tive examination OF the series would
bring TO light many important facts not
now known
The explanation of Prof Barnard
lifelong ambition to make photo
graphic atlas OF the Milky Way lies in
the Importance OF this region In astro-
nomical research. Every since Calico
discovered that the Milky Way In not II
continuous cloud Of nebulous light but
multitude of stars too far away TO be
seen individually without telescope
this luminous belt In the sky has been
nf absorbing interest to astronomers
Indeed. most OF the major problems
which modern astronomy has attempted
TO solve relate more or less intimately
TO the Milky Way. or Galaxy. as the
| astronomers call 1t.
Among these problems Is the deter.
mination Of the form and size OF oar
stellar universe, Research now makes
1t seem certain that the space occupied
by II is shaped like watch. II can
be considered as a gigantic watch like
form with our sun and It's planets nj
point inside IL near the center. This
Is the common imaginary conception
with which astronomers attempt ~
visualize the enormous magnitude OF
space occupied by the stellar system In
which our sun and all It's eight planets
| are 30 insignificant that they constitute
no more than specks Of dust.
The space inside the watch contains
clouds" of stars, streams" OF stars
| nebulotts gases and opaque aud obscur-
ing clouds which may consist Of enor-
nous masses of f1ne dust. Az We look
from our earth point inside the watcn
towards It's rim, these celestial objecls
appear TO be more closely crowded to-
| grther than they seem 10 be when we
look out towards the crystal face Of the
watch.
The effect Of this atar-massing i
known as the Milky Way, II is not
due primarily 10 eroWding. although
some astronomers think ths stars may
be thicker IN this region, but rather
| 10 the vast extent OF the universe in
i. the direction Of the watch rim, Its
| diameter IL about five times It's thick
ness Consequently there Ii vastly
greater number of stars In this line al
! vision II Is because OF this that the
MILKY Way appears to the observer ou
, earth as a glowing band of light en-
| circllDg the heavens.
! IN gazing In the direction of Il the
/ observer is looking along the greatest
dihmeter 0t The watch shaped star
system, toward what seems To he It's
J ehcnmpahsing rim. Powerful ieler
sc0pea trained upon II disGlnse stars al
distances varying from those compare -
lively near The earth -~tha nearest,
| pf0kinla Gentauri. IL approximately
tlye light vearh ar only about 30 n00 >
o0o,O0o,0D0 miles away 10 others that