SKY EXPLORERS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1255, 11 October 1911, Page 5

SKY EXPLORERS.

WELLINGTON ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY. The annual meeting'of the astronomical section of the Wellington Philosophical Society was held .it f.lin last evening, Mr. C. P. Powles 'presitling~ovor an attendance of twenty-one. The annual report stated that substantial progress had been made towards the attainment of the objects for which the section was founded. _ A good equatorial mounting on a cast-iron pillar liad been procured from Messrs. T. C. Cooke and Sone for tho five™h refracting telescope. A valuable gift had been made to the sectioin by Mrs. Parsons, of Lower Hutt, who had presented to the society the six-inch reflecting telescopo which was made by the late Mr. W. P. Parsons in 1873. During the year strenuous and continued cfiorts have been made by the council to secure forma! permission to buiH on'tho site at Kelburne, which was offered when tho section was founded. Unfortunately, a succession of technical difficulties barred the way, and it was not until yesterday afternoon that a satisfactory solution of the problem was arrived at. Formal permission had now been received from the Department of Lands to occupy a quarter , of an acre of the Garden Battery Reserve at: Kelburne. iunds were urgently required for this work which the council proposed to Kike m hand at once. The council endeavoured to organise a party to co-op-iate with the Australian expedition which was sent-to observe the eclipse of Jv ■ re 11 , l S pr il last Unfortunately the difficulties in the way proved insuperable. At the meetings of tho section a number of important papers had been read ana lectures delivered. The election of officers resulted as follows:—President, Mr. C. P. Powles: vicepresidents Dr. C. M. Hector, Father Kennedy, Professor Picken, and Mr. Martin Chapman; council, Messrs. G. Hosben. C. E. Adams, W. S. La Trobe, — Sladden, - Berry, -Parry, and Captain Hooper; secretary, Mr. A. C. Gifford. A paper was read by Dr. C. M. Hector on the subject of "The Milkv Way." It was announced that Hr.'j. T hon. director of the Wanganui Observatory, had consented to give a popular lecture on "Evenings with the Telescope," in aid of the fund for buildirg an observatory here. The lecture will be given on. Thursday, October 10, in the Concert Chamber, Town Hall.