PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 182, 28 April 1921, Page 8

PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY

A STRONOMICAL SECTION. At a general meeting of the Philo* sophical Society held last night Dr. Adams presided. The chairman announced that tha council had decided on’ a slight change of policy in respect to the general meetings ’hold on the fourth Wednesday ia the x \month during the winter session. It had been decided that each section of the society should provide the papen for a meeting, and the astronomical section was that evening conforming to the new policy. The chairman read a very interesting paper on "Astronomy in New Zealand," and was followed by Mr. A. C. Gifford, who discoursed on "The Change in Size of Comet. Heads on Approaching the Sun." Captain G. 8. Hooper contributed a paper on "Marine Chronometers." Dr. Adams gave an historical sketch of astronomical work in New Zealand, dating from about 47 years ago, when a transit of Venus was observed. The second transit, with many observations, was also successfully observed. Dr. Adams spoke of another notable event in astronomy, the eclipse of the sun in 1885, when New Zealand was the only country from which observations could be taken. The lecturer outlined the recent negotiations with American observatoi"vs for the sending of a telescope to New Zealand, and detailed the work that had been done towards securing adequate information of climatic conditions. especially in Otago.