A SCHOOLBOY'S DISCOVERY

Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 140, 13 June 1918, Page 8

A SCHOOLBOY'S DISCOVERY

Dr. D. C. Monro Hector brought into the Kelburn Observatory a star spectroscope last night, and this was attached to the five-inch King equatorial telescope. With this spectroscope observations were made of the spectrum of the nova. The observations confirm the Wanganui results. On the whole, the bright lines are not so vivid as they were the night before.

The Government Astronomer (Dr. C. E. Adams) has handed to The Post an interesting letter regarding the discovery of the star. It is dated 93, Maitlandstreet, Dunedin, and reads as under :— "Dear Sir,—Noticing in the Evening Star of 10th June your telegrams in regard to the Nova in Aquila, I thought it might be of interest to you to know that I saw the star on the evening of the 9th inst., at 9.10. It was then of first mag. and of about the seventh or eighth brightest order. It shone with a somewhat purer white light than, at present time of writing (9.15 p.m. on 10th inst.) Although I have little time (being in Upper V. in Otago Boys' High School) to devote to the subject, since a small boy I have been keenly interested in astronomy, and in having a look out on Sunday night at 9.10 o'clock discovered this star, which I knew had never appeared in that position before, and I am sorry that I did not write at once to you.—l am, yours faithfully, Alex. G. Crust."