September, 1939
TH E K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S
339
that the Mount Wilson 100-inch tele scope, now reaching 500,000,000 light years away, almost spans infinity. But the new 200-inch mirror'would be able to reveal light from stars 1,000,000,000 light years distant. One writer refers to the telescope as "a mirror that turns back time as nothing else in the world can do.” And yet the Christian’s Bible has an even more comprehensive span, the span of eternity: ‘‘Even from ever lasting to everlasting, thou art God” (Psa. 90:2). But the mind of man is never satis fied. Surely it could be expected that every one would be content with equip ment of which Captain C. S.'McDowell, who is supervising the entire construc tion Work on Palomar Mountain, says: “. . . we find that we have promise of an instrument even better than the astronomers’ fondest dreams. It is hoped that, 50 years hence, this instru ment will still be considered modem . .” And yet, even now as they await eagerly the revelations to be made by the 200-inch telescope, some astrono mers are wistfully wishing that the telescope might have been still larger! The thought or infinite space to be ex plored is a compelling lure. Seclusion Driving 50,000 miles to choose a suit able site for the observatory was one detail in Dr. Anderson’s preparation for the project. He chose Palomar Moun tain partly because of the favorable climatic conditions which promised a minimum of temperature changes and a maximum of nights free from haze and fog. But one of the principal fac tors in his decision was his knowledge that the surrounding mountainous area affords no possible location for the de velopment of neighboring cities. He knew how seriously the efficiency of the Mount Wilson Observatory has been reduced by the expansion of Pasadena and other cities, with iheir nightly glow in the sky from their countless brilliant lights. Is there not a hidden message for the Christian here? The one who would search out the infinite secrets of “the Father of lights’' must deliberately choose to be unhindered by lesser lights, the “neon signs” of the world below him. Hugeness and Accuracy Tremendous measurements and intri cate perfection are involved in the 200- inch telescope and its mounting. With its tube 60 feet in length, the telescope has a total weight of 1,000,000 pounds, of which approximately 250,000 pounds are in the tube alone. The telescope’s manufacture, consequently, has pre sented mechanical problems never here tofore met. The moving parts, which
A View of God Through Our Great Telescopes
By PETER W. STONER
Chairman, Department of Mathemat ics, Engineering, Astronomy, and Archi tecture, Pasadena Junior College, Pasa-, dena, Calif: N O, I do not mean to imply that the astronomers on Mount Wilson or at any other great observatory can set their telescopes to a certain position in the sky, place their eye to the eyepiece and say: “There is heaven, and through the pearly gates I can see God sitting on His throne.” Have you ever met a man and later read an account of his life s work, and thus for the first time had a real vision of the man? If so, you know what I mean when I say that perhaps you have accepted Christ as your personal Saviour and know the joy of salvation, but have you seen Him in His power? Do you realize what He implied when He said, “All power is given unto me”—even the power of Genesis 1:1 in creation? Have you felt comfort in His protecting power when He promises to be with you always? If not, let us 1o o k at Him through a telescope. We are told in the opening verse of the Bible that God created this universe of ours: “In the beginning God created [Continued on next page]
weigh about 425 tons, must be related to one another—and kept there—with an extreme degree of precision. Accuracy in the giant mirror requires that the glass of which it is made shall be ground to within one-millionth of an inch of specifications, over the entire surface. About five tons of glass have had to be ground off the huge 20-ton disk. For this 200-inch mirror, the problem of planning a special kind of Pyrex glass and casting it in the Corning Glass Works of Coming, N. Y„ was so tremendous that the final achievement is still a marvel to all who know the story of the undertaking. Visitors at the optical shop of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., are particularly im pressed by the extreme, caution with which the grinding is being done. The building itself is insulated with a layer of cork about three inches thick, to insure even temperatures for the glass and testing machines. From an obser vation gallery inclosed in glass, visitors may watch the grirtding and testing of the lens. The workmen change from
their street shoes and replace their ordinary clothing with special white garments which have no buttons, pock ets or cuffs capable of making scratches or carrying dust or sand. At the top of the ladder leading to the grinding table they change their shoes once more, for even a particle of dust could mar the usefulness of the glass. A lens of this kind must be accurate within one-tenth of a wave length of light, about one millionth of an inch. Fine iron oxide is the grinding agent used. No effort has been spared to make the final result perfect even beyond the original plans for the telescope. Does not the loyalty of the scientist to his work put most Christians to shame? If the astronomer spares no effort to reveal perfectly the secrets of the heavens, what excuse is there for the Christian who is slipshod and care less in preparing to reveal the Lord Jesus Christ to those around him? Knowledge Generously Shared * Cooperation of many groups was nec essary for providing this instrument for
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