LARGEST TELESCOP IN THE WORLD.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 658, 4 January 1881, Page 3

LARGEST TELESCOP IN THE WORLD.

- ' • • I/, ' V ... : The bequest of the late Mr James Xiicfc, ■ who - , left. 700,000 dollars.for the estjab- .. . Mnient of. the most powerful telescope in the world at some , point in California, ■ is', after Some preliminary difficulties bet to bear fruit. The observatory '''"is. at, Mount Hamilton, in Santa Olura County.. It is on an approximately level '■■; afwoe of about 400 ft long, and of width from 40ft to. 120 ft, is' 4250 ft above the sea level, find commands the ' . • entire country within forty miles round, r To teat the. appropriateness of the site, Mr Burnham, of Chicago., remained- on the mountain for sixty days,: and reports. . .that there were of first-class nightß fortytwo, medium nights, seven, cloudy and ' ' foggy nights eleven.. A'peculiarity- of the ! vision on Mount Hamilton is that the night, if good'at any. part, is good through- . nut. < The quality of "the vision during the -•• day was inforior to this; it was clear, but theimages of stars, &0,, were not tranquil. ■ ', Hence only certain observations of the sun i can be proaecuted with special advantage < here.: : The' indications •are; that Wall w (itS-'hstteV.'fitted for.;atjew. and ■well-.

i- equipped observatory thau any other in t tlio world, We look for excellent work > from lliia, the latest of the great astrouo--1 mica! institutions. 0 11 •