SCIENCE AND THE MOON

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2263, 24 September 1914, Page 9

SCIENCE AND THE MOON

LECTURE BY PEOF. E.JVV. BROWN. At the Victoria College last evening Professor E, W. Brown, R.R.S., of the faculty of Yale University, Newhaven, Conn., U.S.A., delivered' a highly-interesting and instructive lecture under the auspices of the Astronomical Section of the Wellington Philosophical Society. Dr. C. Monro Hector president) occupied the chair. Professor Brown, whose subject was- "The Moon," said it was difficult to realise early man's attitude in regard to lunar phenomena, as we were so used to correct data and time. Even in the high state of civilisation of the Chaldeans, and the Greeks, such important events as an eclipse of the sun was never recorded. In ' savage times the. matter of the time was possibly of the least consequense. Even Thucyides recorded a total eclipse of the sun in a most oasvlal manner, merely stating .that during tlie afternoon some of the stars be-came-.visible. Dr. Brown spoke interestingly of the wonder of the moon's eclipse or orbit, and the manner in which it was influenced by other bodies which were forever ende-avouriiig to disturb its passage round the earth —to pull it out of its/ orbit. The sun was the chief of these, and Venijs also was very troublesome. An astonishing fact (to astronomers) was that the moon had been known to be as much as a second late in its orbit, which, to him, was a great quantity of time. This-he was unable to give a reason for, but such a variation was caused by a celestial.force of which they had at present no knowledge. Astronomers had tried to correct it by testing tho gravity of the earth and Mercury, but without conclusive result. Tlie problem was one that,would havo to be solved by the scientists or the future. ' . Some elaborate gravity test chart results dating back to 1750 were shown, the lecturer pointing out that observations had been carefully made at each full moon at Greenwich since that year. Views of the moon's surface, showing the volcanic character of the crust, were also shown. Incidentally he remarked that there was no part of the earth which resembled that of the moon, but parts of New Zealand which he had visited more nearly resembled it tnan any he had seen on his- travels. Professor Brown also touched on the modern method of measuring the riioon photographically, remarking that , the first crude attempts had given more accurate results than the mathematical methods of Greenwich, which, however, still remained the standard. He hoped that one day New Zealand would have a* photographic : observatory comparable witlsihatof Greenwich,,so that astronomers "of a hundred years henco would have "a, «toro ■ of plates taken on this sido of the world to aid their researches.' ■■ In answer to a question ■by Mr C..E. Adams, .Professor Brown stated that a, serviceable plant could ■bo'-obtained for between £200 and £400'. The clockwork mechanism was the only really important part of the apparatus. .- ' :At the. conclusion of the lecture a heafty vote of thanks was. moved'by Mr. 'A. O. Gilford. ' •