SOLAR OBSERVATION

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2271, 3 October 1914, Page 10

SOLAR OBSERVATION

NELSON &MUNGTON'

GOVERNMENT OBSERVATORY

PROJECTED EXTENSION

'■';. |' Some' interesting information' regard* '.: ing the,' proposedCawthrou Observatory .at kelson',' 'and;.tho.:Government Observ- .' atory.'m.'Wellmgtqri;. was given' to a .DoMmoN. reporter 'yesterday by Professor 'E._.W.' Brown, of Yale University. Professor r Brown holds,a. nigh place as an 'astronpiner,'Vaiid, has been visiting New Ze)dand ; 'with>t3ie Science.Congress' '■•..delegates'; : On Thursday ho visited Nel- . ,60m to 'inspect■-the'' site for the Cawthroh' Observatory. ycsterday, /and'left-later for, the.i:Wairarapa; From;th'ere.he':goes oil' to-'-Auckland, arid leaves,: for/America by 'the; Niagara oh .'; Tuesday;..'?: '-^'-;'■'. ; ; ..'v/ •'• : ',- ;•• ~ \.\ S^en/^^tKeVtraiii , 'bnVhis' : way''to- : thß Wairarapa, Professor Brown, said that ;' he had.consulted with Mr. Gibbs, who :is largely interested in negotiating' for Mr. Cawthron at Nelson. Tliey talked : .'we*, the'.site"'of the observatory, which will probably be placed on the Port Hillsj which consist of a ridge overlooking Xthe.towir. of .Nelson.) The ridge seems very suitably placed for easy ac.,.'cess/, and also, fonts .good meteorologi-' ■, cal Conditions. The meteorological conditions: have been 'investigateoT by jMr. 'lEvershed,, who visited .'New Zealand 'from India, and investigated sites for ■the Cawthron Observatory, and gave a most favourable opinion of the good definition which it was, possible to se- ■'• cure at. Nelson. ."In fact, I was up at 110011 yesterday," said Professor Brown, "and the:definition was about as good, -astliey over get:in India at the Kodaikausel Observatory, at the best time of. ■the.day, which, is usually in the. mo m■■Hw- . .'-V'"'. - ■.■••.".■/ : ..'' : "-"'-.

.v- A Oreat/Solar Observatory. ■ It : is well knownthat Mr: Cawthron has, .promised £30,000 to 'establish an observatory in New Zealand. Professor Brown says that it is hoped that.-this will-be sufficient at the outset to .provide; the most necessary instruments, andi'a'small staff, consisting of a'diroctor and one or two. assistants. As the work progresses, however, thero is hopo that ■further funds will be, available, so thatHhe Cawthrori.; Observatory may rank as one of the great solar observo.tories'of the world. One of its.advantages will be r that.it will be placed'in a longitude which is almost exactly opj>osite/to those of the great solar, observatories iti. Europe and; America. Thus, observations of the'sim will be continued at times when the sun is.below the' horieon elsewhere.

M&tters have .'progressed so far that it is-hoped the time'is not very distant when the Board of Control may take the firstisteps towardv appointing a director; purchasing .requisites and: erecting tho buildings..- . .".

{Extension of Wellington Observatory. : Professor-' Brown during his visit to New Zealand has .been .in consultation with, the Government regarding the Do- -. minion Observatory at.Kelburn..'At pre- ;■' sent this .observatory, is solely/devoted to the time service in the Dominion, and for this purpose its resources, both as to instruments and staff, areyba,rely - sufficient.- Professor Brown stated.that 'he understood that the outbreak of war had' held up plans/for .extending its ; scope, but it was,to be hoped that before long the observatory might acquire ~- instruments which would enable- it to .undertaker work ..of greater value. - Several suggestions had been made, one ■■■ being that a transit'instrument of the • best workmanship and.the most modern design should be secured, in order to .undertake meridian observations of the ~ stars-, ;more particularly of the. South ' Polar stars,; which had/been comparatively little observed, owing to the lack of facilities in the Southern Hemisphere. -Such a work would greatly • supplement thje star catalogues which had been.published, /.for : theso regions- of the sky : (vers, beyond;the reach,of ; the observatories .of the: Northern Hemisphere. Ob- ■' servations of the planets,, moon, and.the. Bun:would naturally be. combined,with .the .extended work of the observatory; : .- A great initial expense for .taking would not be necessaryj nor need, the annual appropriations be. very much. Professor' Brown thinks there ia great ■ value in 1 having research work of- any kind, done-in a community' which ■' is 'necessarily chiefly engaged in developresources of-the-country. "In a residence of 23 years in the States," .he. said,';"l'.have'seen the' 'great 'advantages Tvhicb 'have resulted from the ,reBearch ..work there in; raising educafcipnal! standards throughout the -fcountry." .''' ';-''. , ; ' Rotorua—A Leaky Boiler. Professor Brown is interested in seismology. : He was at Rotorua when, -the White Island eruption.- occurred, and says that there were/ho unusual ■' signs'bf activity jn.Rotorua, though 'many of, thegeysers'were .'playing very ''.'";. : , "":'. '•■'■-'■''' •■ "■ Asked for an opinion oh Rotorua, he said: "I thing Rotorua. is one- of tho most wonderful places in the'world. It was like living on the; top of a -leakyboiler, which was liable ,to blow up at, any. time, though, no.doubt it is perfectly safe at Rotorua." ■