ASTRONOMY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1495, 18 July 1912, Page 4

ASTRONOMY.

PROPOSED MERIDIAN OBSERVATORY.

Amongst .the various proposals which engage the attention of the local Astronomical Society at the present time, that which stands first in interest and importnnco is the proposal to establish a meridian observatory in. New Zealand. Tho work done in such observatories is to determine with exactitudo the positions of fitArs. -To do this much more elaborate instruments and equipment arc required than are as yet possessed by any observatory m New Zealand. Meridian observatoriesaro being established in various parts of the world, and ultimately will ionn an international series, collaborating in the special work for which tliev are designed. It is' proposed that the work done at the observatories should torm the basis of an international ,cata-' Jogue. _ Apart from its bearing upon astronomical research tho establishment of meridian observatories has an important bearing upon navigation, It is anticipated that tho proicct of establishing a meridian observatory in New \ Zealand will receive a great ' impetus shortly when Miss Proctor, who is now lecturing in Australia,, delivers a series of lectures in New Zealand upon astronomical subjects. Miss Proctor hails from Mount Wilson,. California. She is the daughter of Mr. R. A. I roptor, a famous astronomer, who lectured in New /ealnud manv rears aso. A principal object of Miss Proctor's pre- | sent tour is to secuj-e the- establishment of meridian observatory somewhere in Australasia. As the proposed observatory would bo purely scientific in character. 1 C r *tyible that if'it is determined to establish ifc in New Zealand, tho Government may bo a<kod to bear the cost Of its equipment. Portions of Otaßo Central and other placas in the Dominion have been named us suitable localities for si meridian observatory. ' Judging by the progress which beiii? made with tbs small observatories which exist here, astronomy is o popular pur-, suit m Wellington. At Kelburne, in addition to tho time-telescope which has been mounted for a considerable period, an telescope ha? l>een set up. At. Welhneton College a start has been made upon .the construction of a small obser-. vatory, which will l>e more elaborately onuipped than the Kelburne institution. It is contain an equatorial telescope which will bo fitted with "driving olprks " rineso serve tho purno*n of keeping' the U'lescopft automatically trained unou a •star, when it is l>c.in? observed for an extended period. Tn addition,'the observatory at the college will bo equipped with an astronomical camera, and with a spectroscope.