The National Observatory [pp. 304-308]

of the one and the glory of the other, be it said,
E NATIONAL OBSERVATORY. they are eminently utilitarian and practical in
THE NATIONAL OBSERVATORY, their exactions.
When the American people in their national
The following paper was read by Lieut. M. F. Maury be- character understand any thing, they never do it
fore the Virginia Historical Society at its last annual meet- by halves. Their National Observatory is furing. As an account of the operations of the National Ob- nished with a most splendid set of instruments.
servatory it possesses high interest, while it has some pas- There is but one observatory in the world supesages of great rhetorical beauty, which were received by rior to it in this respect. And when I was orthe audience with unbounded manifestations of delight. dered to the charge of it, I felt that a heavy resWe copy it from the Historical Register, the organ of the ponsibility had been imposed upon me. It is a
Virginia Historical Society. post that I never sought, but being assigned to it
[Ed. Mess. in the line of duty, I could not as an officer de cline with propriety. I knew that the public ex There are a few facts relating to the early his- pected it so to be conducted as to afford results
tory of the Observatory which I should be glad the most useful to the world and creditable to
to have placed among the records of this Society. the country. Therefore, besides the observa They are like the under currents of the ocean, tions already alluded to, I resolved to give effect
which seldom rise to the surface and which gen- to a favorite idea, and to commence a catalogue
erally escape the observation of the world, though of the stars upon a plan which, when complete,
they bear a most important part in the benificent would afford a work which I thought would not
system of aqueous circulation which tempers the be altogether unworthy of the Nation.
frigid and cools the torrid zones of the earth. With splendid instruments, and industrious ob These under-tows, whether in the physical or servers; with beautiful skies, and more of the
the moral world, are felt perhaps, with their true heavens above us than they in Europe have, arforce, only by those whose course in life is affect- rangements were commenced for a catalogue of
ed by them. the starry host upon a larger scale, and a more
Many of the little events that are passing comprehensive plan than had ever before been
round us in silence, are to constitute the fillings- attempted by any single astronomer. The want
up of history. They are the under-currents, the of such a work as a book of reference for Aseddies, and the drifts in the tide of Times, by tronomers, has been felt for ages.
the effects of which the main current is made to I do not mean to intimate that there are no
pass along down to posterity with the proper catalogues of stars; but I mean to say there is
force, clearness and beauty. no catalogue of the stars that are visible at any
On taking charge of the National Observatory, one place. Nor is there any one catalogue,
my first duty, after getting the instruments in which, besides magnitude, R. A. and Declinaproper position and adjustment, was to train a tion, gives also color, angle of position and discorps of observers. As soon as this was done, I tance, with maps of the binary systems, and clusbegan to cast about for that plan of operations, ters of the stars with drawings of the Nebulae.
which should be the most useful to the world There are catalogues, too numerous to mention;
and creditable to the country. but the most extensive are Lalande's, Struve's
The Sun and Moon, the planets, and certain and Bessel's.
fixed stars of the larger magnitudes, called fun- Lalande's was commenced in 1789 and ended
damental stars, have been the subjects of obser- in 1801: It extends from the North Pole to the
vation ever since practical Astronomy assumed Tropic of Capricorn, and contains about 50,000
the character of an exact science. It is never- stars, but it gives position and size only down to
theless necessary to continue observations upon the ninth magnitude. Bessel commenced in
them, in order to obtain the requisite data for the 1821 and finished in 1833. He worked from 45~
American Nautical Almanac: But the time re- N. to 15~ S. Declination, and obtained a list of
quired for this would afford full employment nei- about 75,000 stars to which he assigned position
ther to the instruments nor the observers. What and magnitude only.
then should bedone with the spare time? Should Struve's is the most extensive catalogue, by
it be left unoccupied: or should we follow the far, of the double stars. It gives magnitude,
example of most of the Government Observato- color, angle of position and distance; but it does
ries in Europe, and fill it up with observations on not pretend to be a complete catalogne even of
the stars at random having neither definite ob- all the double stars that are visible in Russia;
ject, aim or system in view? The genius of our and yet it is considered as one of the most valuaInstitutions and the habit of thought among the ble contributions of the age to Astronomy.
American people forbade this. For to the honor The plan finally adopted for the Washington
304
The National Observatory.
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