| Show MAKING LARGE LENS J New Reflector for Mount Wilson Expected to Reveal Wonders Weighs Five Tons and Must Be Carried Car tied ried Up Hill Hili a Mile High Many High Many Difficulties to Be Overcome in Mounting Los Angeles Cal Recently Recently there appeared In a British periodical an article written by an Englishman seriously seriously se discussing the tho theory that Andrew Andrew An An- drew Carnegie and Dr George E E. Hale had built the observatory on Mount Wilson In an end endeavor to get geta a n corner on solar energy Th The article article ar ar- Ucle has caused amusement in scientific scientific scientific circles where the Mount Wilson Wilson Wil- Wil son Eon observatory is looked upon as the greatest contribution that has yet been made to the science of ot astron astron- omy In spite of ot the fact that the big snow telescope Is visible from Los Angeles there is probably little conception conception conception con con- here of ot the importance the he observatory promises to play ln in ifie- ifie development of ot astronomical science The coming of the tho the famous astronomers astronomers astronomers astron astron- omers of at the world this summer for fora a convention here will do more to call can attention to the progress of at Los Angeles Angeles Angeles An An- geles as a scientific center th thin m anything any any- I thing that has yet occurred Within a month or six weeks there will be an item of ot news at the observatory observatory observatory which will Interest the entire world It will be known at that time lime whether the inch lens teDs recently cast in France is to be a success ss or I not If It it is new secrets of th the heavens heavens heavens ens will be revealed as soon as aa It can set beset up on Mount Wi Wilson Ison The attempt to cast the big lIlg reflector tor was once before made and the result was a failure It takes several several several sev sev- eral months for the big casting to cool and the second one Is In that process now The first reports are that it will probably come out all right Mr Carnegie's recent visit to Mount Wilson means that the dome for this new instrument will be provided without without without with with- out question The success of the 60 inch reflector now In use assures the support of the Carnegie Institute and andUs Its Us founder The new building will willbe willbe be expensive and will complete the tup construction so far as Dr Hales Hale's plans go The original plans for the observatory observatory are already fulfilled In the Equipment In dally daily use Some idea of the difficulties to be overcome in mounting the big lens that is coming will be gained from the fact that it weighs five tons This I piece of glass must be hung so that thai i It will move with perfect ease in order or or- order I der del to be kept in a fixed position by byi bythe bythe i the clockwork attachment which overcomes overcomes overcomes over over- comes the motion of the earth Dr Hales Hale's invention is a steel bearing floating in mercury a principle in use on the inch 60 lens which weighs one 1 ton Astronomers originally doubted the efficiency ncy of ot the larger lenses It has been demonstrated that the spectra of the stars are increased in a ratio corresponding to the size of the lens and with the inch disc there are arek k remarkable possibilities of developing a new facts in regard to the universe This lens weighing five tons will f o have to be transported to the top of ofa I a mountain a mile high where tons of the original material for construction oa e had to be packed over a narrow trail on the backs of burros The wagon ni trail built for the purpose of getting n. n the 60 inch 60 inch lens to the top will again prove indispensable I An interesting operation is going f on at present in the construction of ofa a vertical solar telescope It was 13 P found that for longer observations of certain phenomena of the sun the J snow telescope did not offer the best I ip conditions although it fulfilled the purpose for which it was built r In order to test his Idea of a vertical vertical vertical ver ver- If tower Dr Hale had a water tower erected and made steady by bya byr r a guy ropes With this he obtained such good results that he decided upon upon upon up up- I on a vertical tower This is to be beala ala OI feet In height in order to give hIA a focal length of feet from the reflector to the point where the image is recorded With the equipment he will be able to get an image of ot the sun 16 inches in diameter In order to use a tower feet In height for photographic purposes and long exposures where the subject Is simply a ray of light tight it was necessary to resort to novel means for avoiding vibration It took months of wrestling with the problem to work out the comparatively simple idea of ot erecting a double tower no parts of which should touch each other The outer tower which takes all the vibration of the wind Is built bunt of hollow shafts With this instrument the spectroscope spectroscope scope of the suns sun's rays will be increased increased increased in in- creased from a length of 18 feet to 75 feet giving a broader opportunity for This tower will be completed completed completed com com- in time for use at the astronomical astronomical astronomical astron astron- congress this summer |
