CLAIM OF PERTH.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 139, 15 June 1939, Page 9

CLAIM OF PERTH.

CLEAREST AIR IN WORLD. ;! : ENTIRELY FREE FROM DUST. _ i PERTH, June 7. The claim is made by the Government . Astronomer. Mr. H. B. Curlewis. that i the atmosphere over the Perth Observal tory us clearer than that over any o'oserl:\atory in tlie world. A statement had .'heen made hv an Enpli.~h clergyman, ij tlie Rev. Alan Whitehorn, that the ] climate of Perth was the finest in tha • world. "Some years ago." said the GovernMment Astronomer, "we were taking a |j series of photographs of the heavens, Hand with the photographic plates came 'instructions to expose them for 10 'j minutes. We discovered that with this exposure we were petting far too many -jstars in the picture, and. after a series c of experiments, we found than an exJ'poM.re or six minutes was sufficient." Mr. Curlewis said that the remarkably clear atmosphere over Perth was because of est Australia's geographical j j position. '1 he prevailing drift of the [atmosphere was from west to ph~-. and, 'after passing over .">OOO miles of ( » M n, | the air was entirely free fri.-- ,1 • j~t. s Coupled with this was the far: that t there is rio liic:h mountain ran;» alonz s the West (oast. There were long stretches of < _ .<-ean in the west nj of the South Afiican and South Amenr'ran laTid masse?, but these continents >. j had movntain ranges which upset the eiatmoi-pheric