A VISIT TO THE HECTOR OBSERVATORY

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2189, 30 June 1914, Page 4

A VISIT TO THE HECTOR OBSERVATORY

tfiy JAS. Jt. Stuachan.]

Many citlzftijs of Wellington ire n&t awa'rtf of the feis telescope whic-li tli'ey jjpsseas. fai the Hector .;Otssis.h'a,t<iry, wlush is situated at- Kelburi.i, near t'lis tho cablu tram.- There on any fin® Tuesday or Thursday !tig'h.t . visi£ors can, for a modest fee, view tho liea-v-enly bodies by its -airl. Mr. Adams, Oovcnimeiit AstronomOr, Mr- Gilford, and otlurr gcntieinen . afford visiters every opportunity of seeing the mopi-1, 'stars, planets, <>r #thor Wfl-n-det-B of tlie si;firry sphere, iiiidudiftg perhaps a stray cornet.

Oftr ft.rsfc invprc-ssio.n wlien we- pqjnted j ■, whs t&feseojje fiddly to the m«m <tf tl.io stari-■ sv»s to ,«»te 'how ret)WJ,y these! heiwerily biklies passed atifctss the §e-M of «mv. Till!} is due- tg the actual; ffiqtka of thf earth, rotating on it&'asfe i from "west-'te ■east,' ."ivh'icii :@i : ves tie sppeareneo tto.'ffii;:ffjre<l ga>3 iire -ec.il- i tiaiitally oil jllw.Wve.jiiJip'oHrosilodiis, iftofft. ; p|vst it) West. A sinipte analoffi' 'tt fhi.s sVouicl k tlist if wi> sat in a snvootbiji-fminhig raihvqj': tatmage aiifl peted tfto 'objects outside tli-6 .wijidaw they woulil. appear to &&t . mgvlug wipidij whilst'wo sat stii. Tivis.! ejssa«:nt lirovenjeiit of the stars is at such a paeo t|ia : t.is.iiiipuft four ittuMi-tos' Mas- thai.i tweiity-fo.iji'- h&urs a star Jina. ftsvqd. f'fffta, tne jwjsitiiwt. in wfyjsfe « ! o ■ saw it, rigiH r«)tl : ad tfe. earth., aiid ngriia i eceopies tiie *anitf jixjsifciai). fJra bfeatWi of- tlio jjrop.n . is about. hatf n, degree-, sotlmt, in ottai- woop'ds.': 'fi a star is .note! to tw d'u& jiortk to> ijigivt Bl> 9 crtlock, .tiiqiv to-motrew night at' 9 o'clock it iv.ill fiav? fufetuieed to:th<) .hoirens atevft two , isooilis? keaAfes, 01 Oiiij degrefi;fiffther;,p, isej-eisee' is du», /fe -fKs;,' tr^v-attjeo.-' : «.t" %! earfli in iis o'rbii, Imoiv tliat tjiere- .ai-!S'36B degrecis-.'ift a circle,' snd that fc.ro a.f<j 3(J5 days ih » so twat w« seo- that the earttf olio QCMpbtc. cifeuit qf its tMt ii 36ff aegtaiis in a ?:f. a63.{j:jSa, Same; ■ 0/£"aiir. sutheb. «ft«i poet's .'li-ave; 4 4ioi ; siJiaivti tkeiiisslves ncqtointtd/Witli these ■ ; ghejio.niefta, ottifiis . , <juts.it>"wbeij tlsey toieoiittn ■astt&Mtewal ritattefs. piqkeSSi .ift , mentions .ftai' Mm. Step%jj BfcQfepaol.. Mi faf «!wvii a. steep.chasg. he ssAy a ■. sia-r-sMiiHig fo;r hour? ddiv'tf ihe. nwtttji «f tlvo cliflsm. (ae.rtiinljf lip sijeli gtaf; exists. "O.!i tte ofter ijanSj,' ifeAnj'sfiii ■is highly aeeijrat-e. Kote tbws& 'fiiiE .Uaoa. ifl "Locksfey Hal!:, ,, ly.heli' he- tells- of flie rnoreuient of tjjat ■ pa:pt}eul.a.i.l.v Krig¥t of stars ift the Ow<?ii a-ji'd Tqutlis .consteilatio.!is.' • • "JjEaUj! 3 ftigJit- fronj yqiifer ivied case-- ■• tijent, ei;e I fl'&Ht te rest, Pid I fook oil: gr.ert. Orion sfcp.iiig sldiv-': ': Iyte fhti'.'iveet.' '.■■■ ' ' ■' "■Man}: & iiigWi 1 #W 'tfee PSades h§^ : ■ 'tog niellow-Eteilei ■■' - : '; filittef }jkt> a; : S\y.iirin-of 1 ] : ii} a -6ih% br'iild,.' 3 ■ .■ ■ • 1

; On t'h.6 occasion (if our visit we had a sp'emHd vicnv of flic moon, w!:i'e!t had .wiiatis called & gib bints form—that-'is,, it was bctweon tiio qtiart'i- and fitii JBaefi., We could dearly see the Iftfgß crater like- isala-ted laoiiutain {drifts. Oi! tin', «{ge of tin- 'brigiit and dark pk*liaiis. oi {-lie moon's tescij we say/ a largo e.SftrSscetoce, .whioK taiwaied a partieukiriy tege liiountammis .mass;' Wtau the mem is between nw tr.oon and first <.r last <tun.ri.cr, we may notice that tiw dark portion of t'jio moon's., body js slightly illuminated, this being duo to {is reflected .lijriit of the sun from t lie. <Ktrftt, ami. is oaiiod cartnshhie.

' Tito only planet wbieli wasi in at the tiflw of out visit \vss.lXln.rg. but it was. so close tv tho horizon that the dense rcfajfttiop. caused,-'.a haze ivhie'h 1 matlo ite l>ody appear to b.o dancing about. . ■ ■ l.i;e planets are so caliod front tlio Latin, "pfenare," "to wander/' for t-boy arc -continually waDdering. a!xmi. amoftgst the . other stars. ' Tire larger isiaaefe, sttqli as Mercury, Wnus. .\laii, Jupiter, and Saturn, were the only ottes kn<«vn to .the anciwits. These names also represent- tiigir gods; thus, tlie winged Mercury, hi-Caitso the j-'anet is for such a short period in sight.; Voiras, the ov-emng (if .morning "star," S!».e.aU*.;i hwaiiso of its soft efftilgatffc fight; .-sittiffafiy Slats,. the gad of war', htscfitjse ©f his fiery red gtow,. and so On. The planets, ufttte the stars, ttfe _ o.pafiiie bodies, antl,-aw Jit up by iiaviirg the'.j mil's !i~!ii reflected froifi thefli. Hovw f i..rer, I hope this short sketch may ilie-lp j to aivaicei: into est in the mer-present- j wanders «f tto fiuiversc, }