THE MOST POWERFUL TELESCOPE. 



345 



obtained.* This proves that the telescope must be at least of fine 

 quality, and it bids fair to turn out of the highest excellence. It has 

 been used to take photographs of the moon, Avith results very satis- 

 factory to those who are experienced in these matters. There can be 

 no doubt, therefore, of its claims to be a success, so that ere long it will 

 take its place, in the eyes of most astronomers, as the greatest optical 

 instrument in existence, and the credit of having manufactured and 

 of possessing the most powerful telescope in existence has now passed 

 from America back to England. 



It may be legitimately asked. What will be the future work of this 

 grand instrument ? Will it be used to increase our knowledge of 

 astronomy, or will it be allowed to rest in idleness like so many other 

 fine instruments ? It is to be trusted, and it may be safely anticipated, 

 that the former will be its fate. It will wear out, not rust out. There 

 is much in astronomy which this grand telescope can do. It can be 

 used for observing the faint and difficultly visible satellites of Mars, 

 Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. All these pressingly want observing 

 and measuring, and there are few telescopes of sufficient power and 

 excellence to do the work wanted. It can be easily done with the new 

 one. Then there is the important question to be settled, Are there 

 other satellites to those planets than those known ? To this telescope 

 will fall the task of searching for a third and more distant satellite of 

 Mars, for a fifth satellite to Jupiter, for a ninth and tenth satellite to 

 Saturn, for a fifth and sixth satellite to Uranus, and perchance half a 

 dozen new moons of Neptune. Moreover, there are the extremely 

 interesting problems connected with the minor planets. Does Vesta, 

 Juno, or Pallas, possess a satellite or satellites ? If so, their discovery 

 would be a great thing for astronomy. Astronomers suspect that 

 away beyond Neptune there may be still another giant planet, still 

 another member of the solar system. If so, it will be very faint, and 

 it will require a powerful telescope to search for and discover it. 



There is yet another field in which this new telescope may reap 

 great advantages for astronomy. It is suspected that more than one 

 of the stars, those distant suns, may be attended by opaque, dull plan- 

 ets. Mathematical analysis has already pointed to the existence of 

 these attendants. It remains for the telescope to discover them. If 

 the new Ealing reflector be really of the very highest excellence, it will 

 be with that instrument we ought to look for these attending planets, 

 these members of a foreign solar system. 



Lastly, there is the great field of photography. The new telescope 

 takes instantaneous photographs of the moon two and a half inches in 

 diameter, photographs which can be enlarged with ease to good pic- 

 tures of the moon a foot in diameter — pictures which will be valuable 

 for astronomy, not mere interesting curiosities of science. It will, 



* Lately this telescope has shown the outer satellite of Mars three weeks before it 

 was thought possible it could be seen with the great telescope at Washington. 



