Photographs of Nebulæ and Clusters, Made with the Crossley Reflector

by James Edward Keeler

THE CROSSLEY REFLECTOR.

For long-exposure photography, the advantage above referred to is obvious, but it is attended by certain disadvantages. One of these is that a very much larger dome is required than for the usual form of mounting. Another is the great amount of dead weight which the axes must carry; for the mirror, instead of helping to counterpoise the upper end of the tube, must itself be counterpoised. When anything is attached to the eye-end (and in astrophysical work one is always attaching things to the eye-end of a telescope), from ten to twenty times as much weight must be placed in the counterpoise boxes below the declination axis. Where room is to be found for the weights required to counterpoise the Bruce spectrograph, is a problem which I have not yet succeeded in solving.

In his five-foot reflector, Dr. Common has caused the telescope tube to swing between two large ears, which project from the upper end of the boiler-like polar axis, the pivots constituting the declination axis being near, but above, the lower end of the tube. The mirror, therefore, helps to counterpoise the upper end of the tube. This I regard as a distinct improvement. The danger of large masses of metal near the mirror injuring the definition is, in my opinion, imaginary; at least there is no such danger on Mount Hamilton, where the temperature variations are unusually small. Experience with the Crossley reflector, as well as with the other instruments of the Lick Observatory, shows that the definition depends almost entirely on external conditions.

My first trials of the reflector, as first mounted at the Lick Observatory, showed that the center of motion was inconveniently high. Among other difficulties arising from this circumstance, the spectroscope projected beyond the top of the dome, so that it had to be removed before the shutter could be closed. In July, 1898, the pier was therefore cut down two feet. This brought the eye-end down nearly to the level of the gallery rail, where it was at a convenient height for the observer when sitting on a camp-stool, and it made all parts of the mounting more accessible. Toward the north and south, the range of the telescope, being limited in these directions by the construction of the mounting, was not affected by the change, but the telescope can not now be used at such low altitudes as formerly, near the east and west points of the horizon. The only occasion likely to call for the use of the reflector in these positions is the appearance of a large comet near the Sun, and, after some consideration, I decided to sacrifice these chances for the sake of increasing the general usefulness of the instrument. Except in rare cases, all observations are made within three hours of the meridian.

To adapt the mounting to the latitude of Mount Hamilton, a wedge-shaped casting, shown in the illustration, had been provided, but through some error, arising probably from the fact that the telescope had been used in two different latitudes in England, the angle of the casting was too great. When the pier was cut down its upper surface was therefore sloped toward the south, in order to compensate the error in the casting. Plate VII shows the instrument very nearly as it is at the present time.

The polar axis of the Crossley reflector is a long, hollow cylinder, separated by a space of about one-eighth of an inch from its concentric casing. The idea was to fill this space with mercury, and float the greater part of the thrust of the axis, the function of a small steel pin at the lower end being merely to steady the axis. But this mercury flotation, as applied to the Crossley telescope, is a delusion, as I think Mr. Crossley had already found. The mercury, it is true, relieves the thrust to some extent, but it greatly increases the already enormous side pressure on the steel pin at the bottom, thus creating a much greater evil than the one it is intended to remedy. The workmen who set up the mounting inform me that the small bearing at the lower end of the polar axis is badly worn, as I should expect it to be. Instead of putting mercury into the space intended for it, I have therefore poured in a pint or so of oil, to keep the lower bearing lubricated. For the reasons indicated above, the force required to move the telescope in right ascension is perhaps five times greater than it should be. The lower end of the polar axis ought to be fitted with ball bearings to take the thrust, and with a pair of friction wheels on top; but it would be difficult to make these changes now. It should be observed that the disadvantages of the mercury flotation are considerably greater at Mount Hamilton than at the latitude for which the telescope was designed.

THE CROSSLEY REFLECTOR.

As already stated above, the range of the telescope is limited on the south by the construction of the mounting. The greatest southern declination which can be observed is 25°. In England this would doubtless mark the limit set by atmospheric conditions, but at Mount Hamilton it would be easy to photograph objects 15° farther south, if the telescope could be pointed to them.

The original driving-clock having proved to be inefficient, at least without an electric control, a new and powerful driving-clock was made by the Observatory instrument maker, from designs by Professor Hussey. In its general plan it is like that of the 36-inch refractor. The winding apparatus, contained in the large casting of the original mounting, has no maintaining power, and can not easily be fitted with one. The clock could in no case be wound during a photographic exposure, on account of the tremors attending the operation, but it would be somewhat more convenient to have the stars remain on the plate during the winding. With a little practice, however, one can wind the clock without actually stopping it, though the object must afterwards be brought back to its place by means of the slow motion in right ascension.