TO KNOW THE STARRY HEAVENS 



267 



ing, September 6th. 1915, the edge of 

 Saturn's ring was seen projecting beyond 

 the stone before the globe came into view. 

 The star-Hghted vault celestial seems to 

 be just around and about the mountain 

 summit. One can almost touch the stars, 

 the illusion is so apparently real and so 

 fascinating. There is another remark- 

 able summit and canyon effect. The tele- 

 scope reverses, therefore by looking with 

 one eye at the instrument and the other 

 at a peak, literally millions of galactic 

 suns seem to pour downward in a colos- 

 sal flood toward the yawning abyss, black- 

 er now than Egyptian night. At this 

 approach of midnight, giant suns are 

 blazing in all directions with an effulgence 

 unseen in observatories on the plains 

 below. Here one is not "near to Nature's 

 heart," but within it. One must indeed 

 be debased and "out of tune" if he is not 

 deeply impressed by the supernal beauties 

 of Mars and Saturn so near conjunction. 

 The World's Great University. 

 I have just returned from thirty days' 

 research into the amazing astronomical 

 and electrical wonders of the Panama- 

 Pacific Exposition. The transcendent 

 products of the Mount Wilson, Lick 

 and other observatories advance those 

 making these astonishing photographs 

 to the dignity of exalted beings. 

 Each step in the evolution of suns 

 from nebulae is shown in photog- 

 raphic detail. Nature cannot lift 

 a hand without being instantly photo- 

 graphed. No such collection of stellar 

 spectra has ever before appeared. One 

 can see the laws of nature in action. 

 Astronomer Kapteyn's concept of the 

 drifting of the stars is confirmed, for 

 there are the paths of nineteen hundred 

 suns that are moving toward Orion in 

 majestic march. The motion of our own 

 sun with reference to the Taurus stars, 

 including the Pleiades, during the last 

 eight hundred thousand years is on dis- 

 play. The instrumental exhibits of War- 

 ner & Swazy, of Brashear, and of the 

 United States Government, present the 

 perfection of human work in precise 

 measurements. Brashear's diffraction 

 gratings are there, glowing with superb 

 colors, and telling man of the elements 

 composing the sidereal universe ; the tele- 

 graphone, recording human speech; and 

 the audian amplifier, in circuit between 

 New York and San Francisco, and capa- 

 ble of making audible the faintest wliisper 



in either city — these three wondrous 

 triumphs of genius stamp their inventors 

 as master minds. But on this summit, 

 in the "witching hours," I am writing of 

 things supernal, in a peace that passeth 

 all understanding, due to the laws of 

 nature. I look upon scenic and cosmic 

 splendors, and know that all these won- 

 derful things are in the mighty clutch 

 of pure mathematics. The amazing ef- 

 fects due to chemically pure atmosphere, 

 the mirage of perspective, the exquisite 

 panorama of peaks — these and the balmy 

 air of a California night in the mountains 

 conspire to set the mind in the path of 

 peace and happiness. 



I have attended the inspiring sessions 

 of the American Association for the 

 Advancement of Science, the Astronomi- 

 cal Society of America, and with the 

 members of these societies and of the 

 American ^Mathematical Society have 

 visited the Lick Observatory on Mount 

 Hamilton. As I entered its classic dome, 

 I put my hand on the spectroscope, the 

 world famous instrument that has accom- 

 plished the seemingly impossible task of 

 measuring in the line of sight the specific 

 speeds of flying sims as they approach 

 or recede. A few years ago this seemed 

 to be beyond the power of man, but it 

 is now accomplished fact. The year 191 5 

 has astronomically been of fascinating 

 interest. 



— Lowe Observatory, 2 minutes A. M. 

 September 7, 1915. 



May Now View the Sunspots. 

 On Thanksgiving Day the Sound 

 Beach Astronomical Observatory was 

 used for the first time in viewing the 

 sun. The telescope show^ed very effect- 

 ively quite a fair-sized sunspot then 

 in good position for observation. A 

 view of the sun and its spots may also 

 be projected through the telescope up- 

 on a white cardboard on the wall of 

 the observatory, so that several people 

 may see the sunspot at the same time. 

 These first experiments in solar obser- 

 vation were made by the director of the 

 observatory, assisted by S. C. Hunter, 

 an amateur astronomer of New Ro- 

 chelle. Mr. Hunter had already con- 

 tributed $50 towards the observatory, 

 and. in addition, on this recent visit, 

 he presented a very fine sim diagonal, 

 costing $30. The observatory is now 

 well equipped and in readiness for 

 Aiewinof anvthiiiir in the heavens. 



