PLEASURES OF THE
TELESCOPE
AN ILLUSTRATED GUIDE FOR AMATEUR ASTRONOMERS
AND A POPULAR DESCRIPTION OF THE CHIEF
WONDERS OF THE HEAVENS FOR
GENERAL READERS
BY
GARRETT P. SERVISS
AUTHOR OF ASTRONOMY WITH AN OPERA-GLASS
From other chaos out beyond our night—
For to create is still God's prime delight.
The large moon, all alone, sailed her dark lake,
And the first tides were moving to her might;
Then Darkness trembled, and began to quake
Big with the birth of stars, and when He spake
A million worlds leapt into radiant light."
Lloyd Mifflin.
WITH MANY ILLUSTRATIONS
NEW YORK
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY
1901
Copyright, 1901,
By D. APPLETON AND COMPANY.
PREFACE
By the introduction of a complete series of star maps,drawn specially for the use of the amateur and distributedthrough the body of the work, thus facilitatingconsultation, it is believed that this book makes a step inadvance of its predecessors. The maps show all of thestars visible to the naked eye in the regions of sky represented,and, in addition, some stars that can only be seenwith optical aid. The latter have been placed in the mapsas guide posts in the telescopic field to assist those whoare searching for faint and inconspicuous objects referredto in the text. As the book was not written for those whopossess the equipment of an observatory, with telescopesdriven by clockwork and provided with graduated circles,right ascensions and declinations are not given. All ofthe telescopic phenomena described are, however, representedin the maps. Star clusters are indicated by a conventionalsymbol, and nebulæ by a little white circle;while a small cross serves to mark the places where notablenew stars have appeared. The relative magnitudes ofthe stars are approximately shown by the dimensions oftheir symbols in the maps, the smaller stars being representedby white dots and the larger by star-shaped figures.
In regard to binary stars, it should be rememberedthat, in many cases, their distances and angles of positionchange so rapidly that any statement concerningthem remains valid only for a few years at the most.There is also much confusion among the measurements[Pg vi]announced by different authorities. In general, the mostrecent measurements obtainable in 1900 are given in thetext, but the observer who wishes to study close and rapidbinaries will do well to revise his information about themas frequently as possible. An excellent list of doublestars kept up to date, will be found in the annual Companionto the Observatory, published in London.
In the lunar charts the plan of inserting the names ofth