ASTRONOMY'S USES.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 163, 12 July 1929, Page 9

ASTRONOMY'S USES.

THE ADVANCE OF WIRELESS

"What is the Use of Astronomy?" was the subject of an interesting address by Professor P. W. Burbidge at a meeting of the Auckland Astronomical Society in the University Buildings last evening. The determination of time, said the speaker, was the first great use of this science; lie stressed the vast contribution that astronomy had made to the accumulation of human knowledge. In the immediate future, he declared, wireless would completely oust astronomy in the determination of time, except for central observatories. Standard clock* would deal the final blow and then one* of the main traditional uses of astronomy would disappear. Observations as to tides, however, would always be required until th* motions of the earth, the sun, and the moon were known to a liicotv.

Navigation, said Professor Burbidge, demanded the help of astronomy. Thei sun by day and the moon and stars by night had played an all-important part in ancient navigation. Even primitive races had used it. Although directiona wireless would be employed more S el } eI , ally in the future, the astronomei paved the wav for navigation. ' Ti, SC x,.,, B te,of k n«^ c »» S^ r ;° means the least . nomers had „„my. Tho oM«' « been actuated purely 3. jaoaasch* .• - - -