The New Common Telescope

The new 60-inch reflecting telescope, made in England in 1888 by the late A. A. Common and purchased this year by the university, is now being set up at the Astronomical Observatory. A two-story building, 15 feet wide and 27 feet long, has been erected to enclose it. The lower floor contains a silvering room; in the upper room, in which the observer sits, is located the eyepiece of the reflector. The telescope will be adjusted by electricity, and in order to secure a delicate balance a large part of its weight will be floated in a concrete tank, constructed at a cost of $500.

In point of aperture the new instrument is the largest telescope in the world. The present plan is to use it for measuring the relative intensity of the light of different stars. It will probably be ready for use early in the summer.