• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

Fr om the collecti on of the Z m 0 Pr e i n ger; S an Fr anci sco , Califor nia 2008 T H E N ETO I B ET WE E M P C I TE . O M T H O W I N PLA DS , N ARS AND JU R E S G T A R I PLE TA I L . S C IENC E H IS TO R Y O F TH E U NIV ER S E FRANCIS RO LT WH EELER MANAGING ED ITO R lN TEN V OLU MES TH E C URRENT LITERATURE PUBLIS HING C OMPANY NEW Y ORK I 909 I N T R O DU CT IO N S BY P F E D A M S c . RO SSOR E . E . BARNARD, . Yerkes Astronomical Observatory . F h E E K E E P D . PRO SSOR CHARL S BAS RVILL , . , F C S o f o f o f . Professor Chemistry, College the City New York E D T S c . DIR C OR WILLIAM T . HORNADAY, . , o f ZoOlo ical President New York g Society. Ph . F E M . D E E E K T S . S . PRO SSOR FR D RIC S ARR , , , Professor of Anthropology, Chicago University. h D F E M P . R R A I . EY ER B . S . A . , P O SSO C SS US J K S , , , A dr ain o f a Professor Mathematics, Columbi University i E WAR . EE ER A . M . L tt . D . D D J WH L , , , ‘ ’ Editor of Current Literature . Ph LL.D. F E B . D . TE E A . PRO SSOR HUGO MUNS RB RG, , M D , , , o o f . Pr fessor Psychology, Harvard University EDIT O R IA L B O A R D 0L I— E KA EM PF F ER T .V . WALD MAR , ‘ ’ Scientific American . — L II E . O . C E. V . HAROLD E SLAD , — M L III E E TT EW A . O . V G ORG MA H , — M . E . V OL . III F E . RE PRO SSOR WILLIAM J MOO , , Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute . V OL I — E . V WILLIAM ALL N HAMOR, e of the Research Chemist, Chemistry Department, Colleg City of New York . L — E K A M V O . T E . V CAROLIN E S AC POL , ’ Tutor in Biology, Teachers College , Columbia University. — Ph D . L I M B h B A M . V O . V W . TT EW A . P . D . MA H , , , n Assistant Curator, Vertebrate Paleontology, America Museum of Natural History . L I— I V O . V T A . M MAR ON E . LA HAM , . , or Tut in Botany, Barnard College, Columbia University. OL II— - V . V E T E E . FRANCIS ROL WH L R, S . T D . — V OL. V II E M M . D D E E A . TH O OR H . ALL N, . — V OL . L E B A M KE A . VIII . L LAND LOC , , for Brooklyn Training School Teachers . — V OL . Z I h E E A M . P . D VIII FRAN B LL NG R, . , . — V OL . S . F IX J . WOOL . — - V OL . IX I RA T EE ER . F NC S ROL WH L , S T D VOL X— . F E h E D . W P . PRO SSOR CHARL S GRAY S HA , , f o . Professor Ethics and Philosophy, N ew York University E TT L ONARD ABBO , ‘ ’ r Associate Editor Cur ent Literature . T H E E N C E H I S U DR T H E U N I V E R S V O LU ME I ASTRO NOMY By W ALD EMAR KAEMPF F ERT INTRODU CTION P . A By ROFESSO R E E. B RNARD C i 1 0 b opyr ght, 9 9, y CU RRE N T LITE RAT U RE P U B LI S H I N G CO MPANY C ON T EN T S T T F E E D IN RODUC ION BY PRO SSOR E . BARNAR CHAPTER PACE T H E T F T E I EVOLU ION O AS RONOMICAL ID AS . II T H E EVOLUTION OF OBSERVATI ONAL M ET HODS I I III T H E RI SE OF ASTROPHYSICS IV CELESTIAL PHOTOGRAPHY V T H E LA W OF GRAVITATION VI PLAN ETARY DISTANCES VII PLAN ETARY MOTIONS VIII T H E SOLAR SYSTE M IX T H E S UN X SOLAR EN ERGY XI M ERCURY XII VE NUS XIII T H E EART H XIV T H E MOON XV XVI JUPITER XVII SATURN XVII I U R A N U s AND NEPTUNE XIX T H E PLA N ETOI Ds CoM ETs ETE ETE TE XX , M ORS AND M ORI S XXI T H E CONSTELLATIONS XXII T H E MOTIONS OF T H E STARS XXIII VARIABLE AND BINARY STARS XXIV N EB U LzE AND STAR CLUSTERS XXV COSMOGONY AND S TELLAR EVOLUTION The Editor desires to express his gratitude to the uni v e r si ti e s , the learned societies and the libraries which have placed their facilities at his disposal in connection with this work . Especial thanks are due to the Columbia a f University libraries , not only for the Opportunities but forded , also for the interest shown in forwarding research work from their collections . Recognition of courtesy is due to the many publishers who have granted permission for certain quotations from their copyrighted volumes , among them being Messrs . D . Co . o M Clur e . C . c Appleton , the Macmillan , the S S Co r and The Mc G aW Publishi n g Co . To acknowledge the personal indebtedness to the mem bers of the Editorial Board , the Contributors , and all who have assisted with suggestion and advice would make too li st but . long a ; mention should be made of Mr . Edward J Wheeler, Litt . D Editor of Current Literature , to whose scholarly j udgment and discrimination is largely due wh at - . R W merit may be found herein F . IN T R O D U C T I ON I N the present volume there have been covered in a comprehensive and popular manner the various depart defi ments of Astronomy . Owing to its treatment in a n it el y historical and descriptive manner, however, it may be possible to supplement the general review by a few brief statements of some of the results and problems that confront us in the actual work of the observational as tr n om - o y of to day . There is frequently brought before the astronomer the fact that certain subj ects that were apparently exhausted have proved through the more advanced methods of to or day, perhaps by chance , to be veritable mines of dis cover y, richer by far than had been anticipated in all the previous investigations . A remarkable illustration of this fact is the splendid work of Professor Hale at the Solar Observatory of the Carnegie Institution at Mount Wilson , California . The Sun had almost been relegated to that limbo from which nothing new can ever come . With the ’ exception of Hale s development of the spectroheliograph , whi ch made possible the continuous photographic study of the surface of the Sun and of the solar prominences , but little advance had been made in solar research for a very long period of time . Even with the new instrument the ix INTRODUCTION work seemed to be confined to the photography of the prominences and a few other features of the Sun that were already observable visually with the spectroscope . Before this the Sun was somewhat of a curiosity and but little new information was had concerning it . It only became really interesting when a total eclipse was immi nent, at which time the corona could be seen and studied . The spectroheliograph was the first great step in the study of the Sun . Even though this made possible a continuous photographic record of the prominences and kindred fea tures it could not record the more attenuated and delicate - corona . Indeed , we seem to day as far as ever from any sight of this mysterious obj ect without the aid of the friendly Moon , which for a few minutes at long intervals hides the Sun and gives us our only view of the corona . But the great work done by Professor Hale and his associates at Mount Wilson (which was foreshadowed by his work at the Yerkes Observatory) in the discovery o f the solar vortices and magnetic fields of sun -spots has revolutionized the study of that body and opened up new fields of investigation in this direction that are almost unlimited . Mr . Abbot, of the Smithsonian Institution , has also established a permanent station at Mount Wilson for the investigation o f the solar constant and a general study o f the heat of the Sun . The solar investigations , therefore , that are going On at Mount Wilson are among the most n ot important that have ever been un dertaken . They are only of the highest interest, but may ultimately lead to important results bearing upon the commercial life o f the world by revealing to us some possible means o f forecast INTRODUCTION xi ing conditions upon the Earth . Any vagaries in the Sun must have more or less direct influence on the conditions of the Earth which owes its every throb of life to the mighty influence o f the Sun . Much of the ordinary spectroscopic Work may be said to be in its infancy because o f the vast fields of research that are open to it .

Load more

  349

Copy Link