Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-30
CONTINUED From Third Page

vices for which plans are also being
drawn. these northern and southern
lookouts viii provide important REIN
forcements to Ha&akind's conspiracy
AGAINST the star secrets They viii give
the universe analysts two new ana pow
erful and strategicslly placed mirrors
with which to dredee the abyss OF space
for eUsmical ehes, or probe into he
tunnuItuous chemical simplicity that
lies within the interior Of Stars-tools
to pick at the lock which guards the
mysterious trinity Of space, time and
matter,
and they are the more effective tools
because they are paifed--one in South
Aries. where the whole brilliant South
ern Hemisphere of stars enrolls to the
view: the other in New England TO
survey the northern skies
South Africa is famous fof its clear
and favorable atmosphere, but YOU may
wonder how any site near the New
England seab0erd can be called 'stra-
teEic" for astronomy. Is not the whole
eastern rim OF the continent notorious
for its smoke. haze and cloudmess? Is
IT. not we'll recognized that big tele-
scopes do their work best on mountain
tops? brought up these points when
the choice Of location for the new
northern instrument was discussed with
me by DR.. Harlow Shapley, director Of
the observatory.
Removal to sid Observation.
RECORDS show that mountain peaks
are not ideal sites for astronomical DO
servatories" answered Dr. Shapley,
Currents of air follow the natural
contour of elev ations and high peak
frequently becomes sort Of spout for
ascending and descending air current
which Rsy cause serious distortion OF
starlight
we keep several Photographic tele-
scopes going here in Cambridge every
clear night. with cameras attached TO
make records OF certain assigned areas
Of the Milky Way. For number Of
years these Cambridge instruments have
been able TO work 80 per cent Oh the
hours Of darkness Removed to the new
station away from the glare Of city
lights and the haze OF eiSy smoke ard
dust these telescopes will increase their
WORKING TIME We estimate that we can
count on s. TO so per cent Of the year
being eloudless. Which is q higher av-
eFage than many inland observatoFies
enjoy
1T would be possible. of course. 20
find better seeing. The high plateau
region Of the Southwest and the Cali
forfia coast offer a greater proportion
Of cloudless nights. But there are OBJ
seFvatoTies already established in those
regions and doing indispensable work
Our lot has Eeen east for nearly a CEN
tIry in Cambridge the seat Of Harvard
University, and there are important
advantages IN having the northern OBJ
serving station elese to headquarters.
Laboratories and collaborating SCI
entists are here in Cambridge, our as
Economical personnel is here; our IL
bTary and records aFe here: our 80
year collection OF Photographic plates
OF the skies Is here, and the new station
VIII need the proximity and the CO.
operation CT ali these factors to make
its work 4 success.
Work to Be Photographic.
The new station win be fer enouah
away from Cambridge TO escape The
eits's halo of atmospheric snnovances.
and II viii be near enough to Be reached
within an h0tIr's motor ride Thus the
observers viii have easy access to con-
ferees aTlG facilities 1t Headquarters,
and the mathematical astronomers. pho
tographic explorers. star catalegeTs and
other headquarters workers EiH be
within reach Of 4 powerful telescope
With which to check their results
Work with both the new Tehectors
viii Be lergtly pI1oto9ra Elic. for the
sersitizs6 glass plate lGng ago supplant-
ed the human eye as an instrument for
precisely Observing distant objects. 1t
Is computed that the new Harvard re-
Hector, with its mirror Of i've fest dam
eter, viii be able to gather light suf7s-
Gent TO show stars down to the seven
teenth magnitude. But when instead
Of d human eye. phetoarapf7ic plate is
focused a. the telescopes eyepieee It
VIII be able to photograph stars down
TO the twentieth me gnftude. and thsn
Of course the eve is able to see and
study their photographic images Mere
oreT, the Photographic plate Is q per-
ni4nenf record and can be filed and
Kept Indefinitely for reference study and
eornrsTison
This fact has given the Harvard OBJ
SerTatofy Unique distinction anoug
astronomical centers For il was tn.
hTst-ceftsinly first on this continent
70 sense the value Of Photography A.
an auxiliary to the telescope Perhsps
this may b. credited to the elreum-
stance that IL was among the first OBJ
servstoriss 10 depart from the early
emphasis on positional astronomy End
70 see that the future Of the science Law
IN pF1ysics-in the application Of the
cries OF gases. radiation. pressure and
ether terrestrislly discovered laws Of
master end energy 10 the farsway
worlds
Pickering Pioneered werh.
II created stir both In internal
Harvard circles and In external sstYo-
ndnficAl circles when President Eliot.
early in his revolutionary career rs head
Of Harvard University. selected young
physicist Is director If the observatory.
Edward C. Pickering committed the
Harvard Observatory to . stes dfsst pro
ram Of astrophysieal resesreh--and the
sfF1feknpfF1MW
oecsnie brilliant binaries in the current
literature Of astronomical exploration
and discovery.
It was Pickering who inaugurated the
use Of photography a. q regular means
of studying the sssrs He set up patrol
telescopes In Cambridge. and night after
night, year In and year cut whenever
weather psrmittsdl, his silent squad II
Photographic pstrcimen made their
hourly records Of the skies.
He inspired a gift Of $3.50. 900 from 2
wealthy friend. and with this established
the FIRST southern station in Peru. in
StAlling here aEo Photographic teIc-
scopes 10 capture and enlbalm forever
tire starlight Of the southern heavens.
Soon ships from thu South began 10
bring strange new items along With their
carsoes Of coffee COCO, fruits and bull
lten-stocky padded crates. Three or
APub tAtHcS &@Ad ttlEH JdTE EHDDfLS
from South America were landed In
Boston, to b. carried by cautious truck
ers over 70 Cambridge When Pickering
died, In 1919, there were more than
2So.e00 Of these precious photographs
harvard Leads in Discovery
The proudest event in Harlow shsp-
lays professional career venture ia
think is the fact that he was called "a
Naats-
rection the Photographic survey has
been carried forward consistently and