The Washington times., 1936-03-02
SCIENTIFIC TRIUMPH

SCIENTIFIC TRIUMPH
Up at Cornell, N. Y, where
they make everything imaginable
in glass, they are getting ready
to ship the most colossal telescope
lens ever made to Mt. Palomar,
the Californian mountain top
from whose eminence astronomers
will soon scan the heavens with
quickened ardor. Scientists say
that the 200-inch telescope lens
now being cooled out is one Of the
authentic wonders Of the world.
It is one Of the triumphS Of mans
mentally in the twentieth century.
It's possibilities in celestial explora-
ton are incalculable, thrilling.
Is Mars inhabited? BY means Of
that disk we shall know, in all hu.
man likelihood. Does life exist any
where else in the univerSe-on the
planet Venus, for example? The
vast mirror of Corning, reflecting
from Mt. Palomar the supernaI
glorieS of creation, will most prob
ably solve the mystery.
For it will multiply the volume
Of visible space 27 times. It will
help to solve the problem, is the
universe expanding? It will pro-
vide a new laboratory for the
study of physics and chemistry.
1t will settle the controversy over
DR.. Einstein's relativity theories,
determining the truth or fallacy
Of Einstein's blending light rays"
No wonder the StargazerS are
tense with expectation as the time
approaches to transport the 200
inch lens to its observatory and
turn its mighty gaze upon the
heavens.
Heretofore the largest telescope
in existence has been the eye on
Mt. Wilson, California, the 100.
inch lens. But the Mt. Palomar
lens will gather four times as
much light as is gathered by the
Mt. Wilson lens - and there Is
the secret of reading the celestial
light riddle!
MAIN PURPOSE
The main purpose of any tele-
scope is not to magnify but to
brighten all images. It is a mis-.
take to assume that telescopes are
created to increase the apparent
size of distant objects. Their real
function is to attract as much
light as possible, thereby produc.
ing more sharply defined image
OF the object upon which the In
Strument is focused. To get more
light it is necessary to enlarge the
curved optical surface OF the lens
or mirror so that all the rays fall.
ing upon that surface can be con-
centrated.
That Is why an advance so ire
mendouS has been made with the
new Palomar lens into which has
gone not mere years, but whole
centuries of learning. The diane,
ter of the finished lens will be 201
inches, and the 27-inch thickness
will be ground down to 24.S3
inches. All Of this delicate work
will be accomplished at the Cali.
fornia Institute Of Technology.
The finished weight of the great
lens will be 18 tons. The mirror
now being cooled out at Corning
was poured on December 2, 1884,
the pouring requiring 6 hours and
SO minutes. Just as the first Of
all telescopes, Galileo's, centuries
ago, unlocked the sealed mysteries
Of the heavens, presenting to
astronomers thousands Of stars
which had not been visible to the
naked eye, the mountains Of the
moon and the satellites Of Jupiter,
so will the new lens dwarf the
achievements of the great 100-inch
lens Of Mt. Wilson.
Space so vast as to be beyond
the conception of the human brain
will be unlocked. The eye on
Mt. Palomar will pick up light
that started it's way earthward
millions of years ago, thousands
Of millions Of years ago-Started,
indeed, before there was any earth
at all.
It takse sunlight eight minutes
to reach us, travelling at the blind
ing speed Of 10000 miles sec.
ond. The light Of the star Arc
turUS, which opened the Chicago
Century of Progress Exposition,
spends 40 years on its journey TO
this planet.
The new wonder Of astronom.
ical science may, indeed, solve the
secret Of weather and enable the
weather prophets to predict,
months in advance. precisely what
the weather will be. It may read
the riddle of the spots Of the sun
and what effect they have upon
the weather and upon the gen
eral fortunes Of mankind.