SOUR PHYSICS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1952, 8 January 1914, Page 5

SOUR PHYSICS.

UTILITY NOT YET ESTABLISHED.

MR, J, EVERSKED ARRIVES/

"What do you know ai/oui s-oiar observatories? What's the boou ef thorn?" was the jocular greeting given by Mr. J. Kwshod, Director of the Koxkikauai Sake Observatory (India) io two newspaper men socking mi interview yesterday. Mr. Kvershfld «r----rirai iii the morning by tho Mauiwamij, and ho Mb a.ga.in in tbo afternoon for Nolsen, where the new O.nvtlmm Solar Observatory is to bo <>rectcd. His mission to New Zealand is to advise ;those who , will have control of tbo institution as to the fmimling, construction, and equipment of it. , "Well," said Sir. Era-shed, answering his own question, "they arc no liso at all. At least tlm «loa- that tlu-y are y,scM now is very far-fetchd, althoii.gl! Nt iiie distant future tlioy' may yot prove to h» of some practical ntiiitv. ]n the meantime what wo aro going for is pure science. There is no dotiW, that stm spots, whatever tlu\v may ho, atfeet mcteorojogicdl conditions,'and'that those conditions depend general) , upon. i;hc snM. Thera is notkine; olse tlioy can dopond upon. From that point of view cur work- may yet prove to ira of practical nsn, but wo si.ro going for that now only indirectly. It will be of ittiniensq vfdno t<> scienco to have >\ well-equipped solar physics observatory in this longitndc. And science is not national; it is useful to all the world, and thoi'pfore tlae observatory ■ought bo ostablishcd on an adeauato scale. Judging by what 1 have lieoil tekl, I think your observatory hero can be started an a g-oml , basis. \"oh can't liope to compete with tlin Mount Wilson Observatory in California, where they spend about £70,000 a. .veal-, and Kpcy, an onornions staff, bttt as regards otlicf obswvatoriss, ftiv oivu and the one in England, yours should bo on. an equality with them."

Jtr. Ever-shed described some <jf tire highly sjs€cia.lisod iustrtimcjits used in■a solar observatory, and stated that Itc was designing for Nelson an entirely 13C1V form of olMsofvatfify, unlifco any other in the world. As in the appointment of a- director )«■ did not prtspsiso to nift-ii© a rcßemmciitlation. Probably, ho thought, a Xew Zealaiuter svould ho a.p|)Giiited. There ff-oiiH- Iwyc; tn he a-, direr-tor'and an assis-tMit at least, bocausa if the ob.w.rvatorj. n'iis to bo of vahin it would tmvo to be atteiided'lft" contimiously, and there nilist'tliowforo hi? Mi assistant a-t.h-aiul , to ttt-ko in th.o event of tlie di-rcctof bpcoiiiing ine-np.ieitntecl or goilij* for a hoiidn.y. The first requisite ol a director iva-s that he should hare studied physics. Then if ho went to other observatories, such as that at Mount Wilson, he CBiilil soon jflani how to ntidcl-tako solar physics worlc.f/'lVdbiibly it n'ould be wise to send tho director apiiointed oil A visit to Mount. AVilsoiv, tits biggest sokir obsorvatorv in, ilii? ivDrld."

"Itavo you done anything about tho theory that then* is .radium in the siuu?" Mr. Evorshcd was asked, i

"I have do.no Soniothsng with it," he replied. "I have proved that there is Uo radium in tho. sun. Or, a'aiter., it was thought. that certain lines .in, tho . sun indicated tho presence, of ra|miin,', v ;. ami I have proved that they da not, t da not say , absolutely that', tliot'e' W'' no radium in tho sraij but if thoro i.-!. Ri.iy it is not evident on tho outside «f the- sub." , , .. Sir. Everslied is <>n tfaoo,- >ua>>th,s*'!vleavo from his position as director as Kociaikaiial to re-port ami ativisejia to the erection of tho Grvrthron" ObssH-ji-tery. Ho went to Kodnikanal in JiUiu-,,, ary, 1907, as- assistsi.Ht difeetor, «nd in lOli ho was a.p]jomted cfirecitcr. The ■ institution is under Jbe oD.iitrol of the Indian Government. ■' ■•