Canterbury Advocated As Astronomy Teaching Centre

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31224, 23 November 1966, Page 29

Canterbury Advocated As Astronomy Teaching Centre

(From Our Own Reporter i WELLINGTON, November 22. The University’ of Canterbury should be the New Zealand centre for the teaching of astronomy’ at university level, says a committee of the Royal Society’ of New Zealand set up last year to study steps necessary to promote astronomy.

Additional finance should be sought, with the support of the Royal Society, to enable the University of Canterbury to fulfil this role, the committee says.

The committee was set up after the eleventh New Zealand science congress passed a resolution in February, 1965, that the Royal Society should be urged to investigate the steps necessary to promote astronomy in New Zealand.

The report of the committee was released by the president of the Royal Society (Professor J. A. R. Miles). The committee was chaired by the president of the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand (Mr F. M. Bateson) and included Professor A. G. McLellan (University of Canterbury), Professor J. B. Mackie (University of Otago), Dr. E. I. Robertson (assistant director-general of the D.5.1.R.), Dr. F. F. Evison (director of the Geophysics Division, D.5.1.R.) and Mr I. L. Thomsen (director of the Carter Observatory, Wellington).

“The Royal Society council has accepted the report and recommendations as comprising the most representative and expert opinion on astronomy in New Zealand,” Professor Miles said Two Telescopes To provide New Zealand astronomy with adequate instruments for teaching and research, the committee has recommended the acquisition of two telescopes of 16 inches and 24 inches aperture respectively, to be located at Mount John University observatory, Lake Tekapo, at a cost of £72,500. Professor Miles said that although the committee recommended that the Royal Society should acquire these instruments, its council considered that all instruments should be obtained by and vested in the University of Canterbury, which, in association with the University of Pennsylvania, maintained and financed the Mount John Observatory. When acquired they would be regarded as national instruments, available for research projects by astronomers on an agreed basis.

The committee has recommended that the society support the board of trustees of the Auckland Observatory, the Carter Observatory board and the University of Canterbury in obtaining increased capital and operating grants for their respective observatories, a total eventually of more than £50,000 a year from the Government, the University Grants Committee and the scientific research distribution committee of the Golden Kiwi lottery. N.Z, Advantages “The committee has pointed out,” said Professor Miles, “that New Zealand has a responsibility to promote developments in astronomy due to our geographical position. “For example the centre of the Milky Way galaxy passes overhead in New Zealand but from the Northern Hemisphere it can only be observed at low and unfavourable latitudes. No other country can provide astronomical conditions as suitable as far south. “South Africa and continental Australia are further north, whilst observing conditions in the southern part of South America and in Tasmania are not as good as in New Zealand. For each astronomical observatory in the Southern Hemisphere, there are 19 in the Northern Hemisphere. “To correct this inbalance every effort is being made, through international cooperation, to establish observations in southern lands, whilst a modest start has been made at Mount John Observatory through co-; operation between the Uni-; versities of Pennsylvania and Canterbury. “New Zealand has not i taken’ part in this international expansion, and consequently is ranked by astronomers as one of the! world’s most backward nations in this subject of ; growing importance in the space age.” Sent To Minister Professor Miles said that his council had referred the report to the various bodies concerned for further consideration, as recommended by the astronomy committee. However, because the report affected Government financing through the D.5.1.R., of the Carter Observatory and the Geophysics Division, and because the National Research Advisory Council had not set up a working party for a similar study, the report had been referred to the Minister of Science (Mr Taiboys) for consideration by the Research Council and the D.S.I.R. This investigation by the society’s national committee on astronomy was s ;ood example, said Proiessor Miles, of how the Royal Society worked to obtain an independent view on a topic of scientific importance to New Zealand. The members of the committee and council had acted in their private capacity to

express their conclusions on the state of astronomy in New Zealand and through the society these opinions had been brought to the attention of all authorities concerned. He was hopeful that in due course the investigation would result in greater attention bring devoted to astronomical teaching and research in New Zealand. Recommendations The! committee’s report makes the following 10 recommendations: That the Royal Society give every assistance to the University of Canterbury in the establishment of astronomy courses, by supporting any application to the University G -ants Committee, or in any other manner considered helpful. That the society ask the Director-General, D.5.1.R., to provide the Geophysics Division with £3OOO yearly from 1967-68 for the employment of an astronomer to take charge of the New Zealand time service and astro-table programme. That the society be asked to make representations to the Director General, D.5.1.R., to Increase the 1966-67 grant to the Carter Observatory by £2500 in 1967-68, £5OOO in 1968-69, and £6OOO in subsequent years.

That the society ask the university of Canterbury to apply for a grant of £4950 in 1966-67 to the University Grants Committee for the Mount John University Observatory, and that from 1967-68 this grant be increased to £6750 per annum.

That the society support an application by the Auckland Observatory for a capital grant of £1950 and for a grant of £23,050 covering operating expenses for three years (total £15,000) to take planetary observations as recommended by the I.A.U. —the application to be made to the scientific research committee, Golden Kiwi lottery.

That the society give every support to proposals to supply New Zealand astronomy with the 16-inch and 24-inch aperture instruments at an estimated cost, including buildings, of £22,500 and £50,000 respectively, and that they shall be known when erected as the Royal Society’s telescopes.

That the society ask the University of Canterbury to apply for a capital grant of £23,500 in 1967-68 to such source as it deems fit: to be used for providing a workshop, library, offices and auxiliary equipment at the Mount John University Observatory. Further, that an additional capital grant of £9OOO be applied for in 1969-70 to provide necessary additions to power and water services at Mount John for use of astronomers from all New Zealand institutions.

That the society direct the attention of all New Zealand observatories and the University of Canterbury to the desirability for close cooperation with Australian observatories, especially Mount Stromlo.

TI e society is asked to consult the Royal Astronomical Society concerning the need of funds to support amateur researches of professional standard, and that the two bodies should consider a joint committee for the purpose.

That the University of Canterbury be asked to arrange visiting professorships in astronomy, in consultation with other New Zealand universities.

The financial requirements for the whole programme call for a capital of £126,950, not counting extra buildings at Carter Observatory, and for other expenses totalling £71,550 in the period 1966-71. The report indicates that students at any university wishing to take up an astronomical career could continue their studies at their chosen institution to the stage of physics IH, and then should be able to take without difficulty the astronomy courses at Canterbury. The present position at the Geophysics Division at Wellington is considered unsatisfactory because no research is done. The committee recommends that a professional astronomer be appointed as soon as possible. The committee believes that the Wellington climate imposes a severe limitation on the Carter Observatory and its researches. The main astronomical library should be located there, and certain exchange and information work be carried out. Of Mount John Observatory,

Lake Tekapo, the committee says: “Climatic conditions at this observatory are definitely superior to those prevailing elsewhere. In fact the total number of clear night hours compares with the best Australian sites.

“The committee considers, therefore, that this should be the location for the main research instruments, apart from the instruments used for professional astronomy located in Wellington. "It urges the closest possible co-operation between this institution and the practical side of teaching of university courses at Canterbury; and notes with satisfactl .n that this is the intention of the University of Canterbury.

“The committee feels that Mount John should also be developed by New Zealand to prevent it becoming predominantly a foreign’ base to the detriment of New Zealand astronomy. Bearing in mind the international nature of astronomy, however, the committee feels that New Zealand facilities should be shared with visiting astronomers from other countries.”