WELLINGTON CITY OBSERVATORY.

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 87, 9 October 1931, Page 3

WELLINGTON CITY OBSERVATORY.

Although there.' was a very small attendance at the Wellington City Observatory last Saturday night, the weather permitted of some fine views of the various objects which are now visible in the evening sky. A short talk was given on the myths concerning the constellations of tlie Zodaic. The subject of the legends and myths relating to the stars and the sun and moon is a fascinating one, and helps us to learn something about the ancient peoples who invented them, lrom time immemorial the sun seems to have been worshipped by mankind as some powerful god. To the.ancient Egyptians he was known as Ra. This, fact obviously explains the fear with which total eclipses were looked upon by ancients, and^ also by the savage races of to-day. In many parts of the world sacred rites are still carried out, so as to save the sun god from being devoured by the evil spirit. An interesting fact at the island of Niuafou, to which an expedition from New Zealand went last year, was that most of the natives who looked on had never seen an eclipse before, and they were very sceptical as to whether it would really happen. In fact, they thought the white men had come on a real "goose chase." ' This subject ot solar myths will be dealt with to-morrow night at the City Observatory, and should prove an interesting sequel to the myths of the Zodaic. The telescope will also be used for viewing the stars. The Observatory is situated in the Botanical, Gardens, and.is easily accessible by means of the Kelburn cable car. A small charge is made for admission.