He may struggle desperately, and yet make no progress. Any
gain in power effects a real advance. This is the condition of nearly
all the larger observatories. Their income is mainly used for current
expenses, which would be nearly the same whatever their output. A
relatively small increase in income can thus be spent to great
advantage. The principal instruments are rarely used to their full
capacities, and the methods employed could be greatly extended without
any addition to the executive or other similar expenses. A man
superintending the work of several assistants can often have their
number doubled, and his output increased in nearly the same proportion,
with no additional expense except the moderate one of their salaries. A
single observatory could thus easily do double the work that could be
accomplished if its resources were divided between two of half the
size.
A third, and perhaps the best, method of making a real advance in
astronomy is by securing the united work of the leading astronomers of
the world. The best example of this is the work undertaken in 1870 by
the Astronomische Gesellschaft, the great astronomical society of the
world.
Pages:
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27