Evening star., 1941-12-31
Largest Telescope
Indicates Universe
Is Peaceful Place
Nj. Wilson Astronomer
Says Explosion Theory
Fails to Stond Scrutiny
Bv the Associated Press.

BY tDe ASSOC4dttu fIeoS'
DALLAS, Dec. 3l.-The worlds
largest telescope shows that the uni
verse probably is not exploding but
is a quiet, peaceful place and pos
sibIv lust about infinite in size
IT, observations were made with
the 100-inch telescope at Mount Viii
son, Calf, and reported to the
American Association for the Ad-
vancement of Science last night by
DR.. Edwin P. Hubble. the astron-
omer who for years has done the
most study Of the far-out parts of
the universe
DIR. Compton Elected.
DR.. Arthur H. Compton Of the
University of Chicago was elected
president of the society at today's
session.
DR.. Compton. winner of the Nobel
prize for X-ray research and famous
for his work in cosmic rays. sue
ceeds Dr.. Albert Francis BlakeSlee
of Washington.
Dr. Hubble's report points out that
the Mount Wilson telescope sees an
area about 1000 light-years across.
The earth is at the center OF this
space. with the milky way i'm
mediately around the earth.
In this space there appear to be
about 100 million other Milky Ways,
or nebulae, each a vast family Of
suns. gases and presumably comets
and other familiar celestial objects:
Uniformly Distributed.
These hundred million nebulae
show two things:
One, they are on the average uni
fornly distributed. about two million
light-years apart, with near-vacuum
between them.
Two, the light Of the more distant
ones is dimmed in a peculiar way,
called the red shift. This dimming
could mean that they are receding,
rushing away from earth, and if
that is true, the farthest-aWay ones
now visible are travelling 25,000 miles
a second.
This speed of recession led as
tronomers a few years ago to say
the universe probably is exploding
Theory Not Supported.
But DR.. Hubble reported that six
years scrutiny through the 100
inch eye does not bear out the eX-
plosion theory.
The nebulae could not be uniform
y distributed, as the telescope shows
they are, and still fit the explo-
sion idea.
Explanations which try to get
around what the great telescope
sees. he said, fail to stand UP, The
explosion, for example, would have
had to start long after the earth
was created. and possibly even
after the first life appeared mere.
Another explanation. the sup
posed curvature of space. requires
a density of distant nebulae which
the telescope fails to find.
While the expanding theory can
not be abandoned. DR.. Hubble said
present evidence is against it. Thi:
| leaves the red shift of the ligh'
complete mystery, which still
greater telescopes may solve
( If what the great telescope ap
parently sees is right. DR. Hubbl
said. the nebulae may be end
lessly distributed, on and on, vir
tually to inf1nity.
Three New Miracles.
Three new scientific miracles were
reported to the association today.
They are:
Discovery of a method to extract
from bodily organs the chemica
that governs shape. size. brain
power and probably temperament
1t is nucleoprotein.
Use of X-rays to convert\ pink
bread mold into testing material
for vitaminS.
A yeast extract completely free
of bacteria that can be used to dis
cover the chemicals that will kill
disease organisms.