THE FUTURE OF ASTRONOMY 115 



tion will give us a clue to their distances. Unfortunately, all the stars 

 appear to have large motions whose law we do not know, and therefore 

 we have no definite starting point unless we can refer all to the ether 

 which may be assumed to be at rest. 



If the views expressed to you this morning are correct, we may ex- 

 pect that the future of astronomy will take the following form : There 

 will be at least one very large observatory employing one or two hun- 

 dred assistants, and maintaining three stations. Two of these will be 

 observing stations, one in the western part of the United States, not far 

 from latitude -f- 30°, the other similarly situated in the southern hem- 

 isphere, probably in South Africa, in latitude — 30°. The locations 

 will be selected wholly from their climatic conditions. They will be 

 moderately high, from five to ten thousand feet, and in desert regions. 

 The altitude will prevent extreme heat, and clouds or rain will be rare. 

 The range of temperature and unsteadiness of the air will be dimin- 

 ished by placing them on hills a few hundred feet above the surround- 

 ing country. The equipment and work of the two stations will be 

 substantially the same. Each will have telescopes and other instruments 

 of the largest size, which will be kept at work throughout the whole of 

 every clear night. The observers will do but little work in the day- 

 time, except perhaps on the sun, and will not undertake much of the 

 computation or reductions. This last work will be carried on at a third 

 station, which will be near a large city where the cost of living and of 

 intellectual labor is low. The photographs will be measured and 

 stored at this station, and all the results will be prepared for publica- 

 tion, and printed there. The work of all three stations will be care- 

 fully organized so as to obtain the greatest result for a given expendi- 

 ture. Every inducement will be offered to visiting astronomers who 

 wish to do serious work at either of the stations and also to students 

 who intend to make astronomy their profession. In the case of photo- 

 graphic investigations it will be best to send the photographs so that 

 astronomers desiring them can work at home. The work of the young 

 astronomers throughout the world will be watched carefully and large 

 appropriations made to them if it appears that they can spend them to 

 advantage. Similar aid will be rendered to astronomers engaged in 

 teaching, and to any one, professional or amateur, capable of doing 

 work of the highest grade. As a fundamental condition for success, 

 no restrictions will be made that will interfere with the greatest scien- 

 tific efficiency, and no personal or local prejudices that will restrict the 

 work. 



These plans may seem to you visionary, and too Utopian for the 

 twentieth century. But they may be nearer fulfilment than we antici- 

 pate. The true astronomer of to-day is eminently a practical man. 

 He does not accept plans of a sensational character. The same qualities 



