WHAT WE DO AT GREENWICH.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 September 1925, Page 4

WHAT WE DO AT GREENWICH.

{Hy ,1. Jackson. M A D.Se.. Chief \- -i-la nt In the A-i runonicr Royal, m 1.0.ul ,n "Daily Mail.") lion man,', people. I wonder, ivali-e how mt'.eh they owe la the Royal Observatory. I lleeiiwieh. I'oumieil I l.v (Tinrii— 11. to a -si - 1 navigators, the oi.-.-i i.ia.ry !■•■,.ati by a.-cert.lining l lie mat ion of lit" 1110011 a ltd the past t ion ol 1 !,. tat Ur Ihe pm pose ol navigation. 11l the middle ’ I t ::e e;eh 1•• nit It I e!it Ills .1 tunes I larris„n won 820.1 l M ollMivd hy the British Gnvcrniue.nl. tor a chrnnomctei which would carry llt celt w ieh time at -oil w ith the m're-sat \ accuracy for longitude deterinimit ions. Sim a then all 1 hose chi'innnuclei s used in ll.e Rritish Navy ale issued irotll Oivetiw it'll where they are to-led and rated. Recently w itch—• ha- given a new means 1 J communicating 1 > reeinvich mine I ' a di-lame, anil a , •mp.irixott of l,n al 1 ime with tne 1 tine obtained I torn the signals gives a ready means 1 1 detet mining, long) tide. Even line night observations are made at Greenwich for the determination of time throughout the country. This fact, ami the tee of the Greenwich meridian in maps, are the chief tea-on- why Greenwich is a household word throughout the world. The :;-1 roiioiiiieii! work oi tile observatory has expanded along many lines w J ll< h should lead to a 1 tiller conception ol the world in which we live. One telescope >'s employed in photographing the sun daily -o that we limy leant something of tlm-e mysterious spots which i nine and go. Another telescope i- engaged in the delicate this I; of finding the dt-tain a - ol ill ' -tars hy means of the slightiy dili'et'eiil directions in which they appear tram the earth at intervals of six mouths. The largest lele-cope of all is employed for observing pair- of stars which revolve round each other and so ~liable us to weigh them. Throughout llte 2.T11 year- nl it- existenee the oh-ervalniy lias held a premier place in astronomy. Elam-teed. the lii-i Astronomer Royal, devoted lum-ell energetically to the problems which 1 tilled the observatory into existence. Halley, his successor, is best known for his prediction of t.iie return al intervals of Til years of the comet v, In. 0 hear- his mime. The third Astronomer Royal. Bradley. laid the Inundation of modern tu curacy in astronomical observations. Miukelyne. t Ite fifth Astronomer Royal, initiated the Nautical Almanac, which litis sine remained el untold value to manners. The .'twill'd of the Gold Medal of the Royal Ast rouomiea! Society hist mouth to Sir Era 11U Dyson, i- a lining acknowledgment of 1 lie tact that he not only maintains tit- high standard ol work at Greenwich hut that he ha- al-o made imp si altt advance- in - tin .