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STUDY OF ASTRONOMY.

NEW PLYMOUTH SOCIETY; A SUCCESSFUL YEAR. The third annual meeting of the New Plymouth Astronomical Society was held in the Soldiers’ Club last night. There was a fair attendance of members, over whom the president of the society (Dr. G. Home) presided. A number of apologies for absence were received. # 4 The annual report made mention of the death of two of the society’s members, Messrs. S. Percy Smith, F.R.G.S., and Mr. E. A. Anderson, and paid a warm tribute to their work in connection with astronomical research. The principal undertaking of the executive council during the year had been the installation of a new and up-to-date equatorial mounting for the six-inch, refractor. It was now possible to read the position of celestial objects and to readily find such as were required by means of the divided circles. During the year 851 visitors and residents of the town had been shown objects of especial note in the heavens. Illustrated lectures had been delivered during the year to the general public and to the scholars in the primary, technical and high schools. The recent favorable opposition of the planet Mars had claimed the attention of members and several sketches of certain surface markings had been secured. Some interesting lunar observations had been made during the year. A drawing of the formation Warquentin was submitted to Mr. W. Goodacre, the director of the lunar section of the British Astronomical Society, and he had -reported that the details shown had revealed certain features not previously recorded. SOCIETY OUT OF DEBT. The balance-sheet showed that the year had commenced with a credit balance of £l6 7s 7d, and that the receipts for the year had amounted to £92 Ils lid, making a total of £lOB 19s 6d. On the expenditure side miscellaneous expenses had amounted to £l3 16s 7d and the observatory and plant £94 6s Bd, leaving the society with a credit balance of 16s 3d. There were outstanding liabilities amounting to £3l 10s, but receipts for the current year had already amounted to £2B 13s Id, leaving the nett debit balance at date, £2 16s lid.

The report and balance-sheet were adopted, the Rev. O. Blundell remarking that it was a splendid thing for the society to find itself out of debt such a heavy year. On the motion of Mr. N. Fulton, a very hearty vote of thanks was accorded the executive council. It was only a few years, Mr. Fulton said, since the society had been started and very good progress had been made, due to the enterprise of those in charge. A very hearty vote of thanks was also accorded the hon. director, the Rev. O. Blundell, and members spoke very highly of the amount of work he had done for the society.

The Rev. Blundell made an appeal for more members to become qualified observers. Their rules provided that the observatory should he open to the general public on Thursday and Sunday nights, to pupils of the primary schools on Tuesday, and on Friday evenings to the pupils of the High School Unfortunately Xhey had not sufficient qualified members and they could not carry out this programme Tuesday and Friday nights having to go. If members would only come forward, they would soon become qualified. The books in the library at the observatory were at the disposal of members. Dr. Home was re-elected president for the ensuing year and the following were elected to fill the vacancies on the executive council: Messrs. Allemann and Wilkinson (re-elected), F. Messenger and Dr. Wade. VARIABLE STARS.

At the conclusion of the meeting the president read a paper on variable stars, which, he said, were very interesting, but not conspicuous. Successive generations of careful and accurate observers had watched the constellations for many centuries and the idea of the fixed star had seemed entirely applicable, not only as regarded position in the heavens, but also as regarded quantity of light. It was not until 1596 that the first actual definite mention of a variable star had been made. Up to well into the nineteenth century only four “variables” had been registered, but the number had grown rapidly, the Harvard catalogue of 1916 containing data of 4640 different variable stars. A tabulated comparison of the periods of length showed that the stars were divided into two classes, quite distinct physically and with entirely different causes of their variability. The lecturer then went on to compare the outbursts of the “variables” with the outbursts of the sun, and said their similarity would suggest that the same causes were at work. Long period variable stars were red, and the redder they were the longer the intervals between the outbursts. They were therefore obviously on the downward gradient of departing heat. Short period “variables” were less mysterious than those of a long period and were all white or yellow. Compared with long period “variables” they were very few in number. There were other notable variable stars-—red stars, too—that did not apparently conform, to any sort of regularity in the changes of their light emission. The amateur could develop a lot of interest and do quite useful work in watching variable stars without any more cumbrous or elaborate apparatus than the naked eye or a pair of field-glasses. The method was to carefully compare the suspected variable night after night with stars in the same neighborhood, to make a map of adjacent stars, and to note if the star was becoming fainter or brighter than one or other of its neighbors. Dr. Home was accorded a vote of thanks by acclamation for his paper.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TDN19220726.2.8

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Taranaki Daily News, 26 July 1922, Page 3

Word count
Tapeke kupu
940

STUDY OF ASTRONOMY. Taranaki Daily News, 26 July 1922, Page 3

STUDY OF ASTRONOMY. Taranaki Daily News, 26 July 1922, Page 3

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