Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-06-22

The horizon of space shuts man up
in a little place not much more enan
5000. OOO, OO0, 00O, 900 coo miles In radius.
That is about the limit Of penetra-
ton of present-day telescopes, accord
ing to a statement issued this week by
the Carnegie Institution of Washington.
Vast though this region is, 1t Is PROB
ably only a minute portion OF the whole
and it may be so small as to anoro
only a distorted concept Of the actual
universe.
The astronomer is in the position OF
the medieval philosopher looking out
over the surface of the earth. BY
theoretical calculations he might have
reached the conclusion that the earth
was round. To his vision, however, IL
was a fat surface. He couldn't see the
curvature, The area of the world he
could see was so small that 1t did not
constitute a fair sample of the whole.
From observation alone he never coulo
have reached the concept OF globe.
So with the Carnegie Institutions
astronomers. The region that can be
observed photographically with tner
telescopes reaches vastly beyond tne
Milky Way galaxy with its 10000, OOo'Ooo
stars, including most Of the visible OBJ
jects In the sky. In includes immense
CULTS of emptiness which light. moving
at about 10000 miles second, requires
a million years to cross. Beyond that
it includes millions OF other galaxles'
many of which may be as large as the
Milky Way galaxy itself, although. Que
to their great distance, the telescope
makes them out only as dots In the SKY.
This limited region is being studied IN
tensively, however, on the theory tnat
it may constitute fair sample OF space.
The surveys to date have taken account
of over 100 900 nebulae. These are dis
tributed uniformly over the face OF the
sky. but there are slight departures from
homogeneity for distribution In depth,
and the Interpretation Of this fact Is
expected to furnish new Information on
the structure of the universe.
Various interpretations are possible,
according to the Carnegie Institutions
announcement. One is that the curva-
tIIre of space, for which there Is con-
siderable theoretical sanction, cannot
be ignored In mapping the heavens.
Just as surveys on the earth, when they
cover q large area, require corrections
for the curvature of the earth's surface,
so surveys of space, when they extend
over the range Of modern telescopes,
may require corrections for the curVa-
ture of space.
Such curvature is incorporated In cur
rent theory, but it appears as an un-
known quantity. If it can be detected
and measured with existing telescopes,
the results will constitute q long step
forward toward truer concept Of the
universe.
The rate at which the molecules Of the
atmosphere become electrified varies
throughout the day, according 70 OBJ
servations during the past year BY Drs.
A. @. McNish and G. r. Wait of the
Carnegie Institutions Department OF
Terrestrial Magnetism.
This electrihcation Of the molecules
OF air is accomplished by alpha, beta and
gamma rays from radium and its decay
products. which are In the ground and
in the air itself. The presence Of the
electrified molecules, or ions, permits
the atmosphere to conduct an electric
current. Such Q current passes con-
tinuouSly between the earth and the outer
atmosphere, due to the constant pres
ence Of such ions.
The earth itself Is an almost unlimit-
ed reservoir Of radium, according to the
statement Of the Carnegie Institution
In announcing the results. This radtuxn,
as it disintegrates, forms gas-known
as radium emanation which escapes
from the soil into the atmosphere. The
rate Of escape, the scientists believe, 10
fairly constant, despite the fact that the