THE VAULT OF HEAVEN

The dedication of the new Astrophotographic Building today is an event important for the world of science as well as for the Harvard Department of Astronomy. The collection of 400,000 places which the observatory has spent eighty years in making is now as large as all other collections together, and is five times the size of the second largest collection. The destruction of these photographs would be an incalculable loss to astronomical research.

Until now, there has been room in the vaults for only half of the highly inflammable plates, and the rest have been exposed to the hazard of fire. The new structure will eliminate this danger and give the collection the housing it deserves. Although the expenditure of a large sum on such a building may seem at present out of proportion to its value to the University, it is surely justified by the need of guaranteeing for science the preservation of the fruit of years of work.