IN STARRY SKIES

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 105, 6 May 1931, Page 16

IN STARRY SKIES

•{jSOME TELESCOPES IN NEW ■"•V ZEALAND

■:;::■ ::;r(By «'Omega Centauri.'*) •.. ..'.'..' ..Although New Zealand does not yet ■'-possess .'.a really great telescope, it has a: "number of enthusiastic' amateur ob..seryers.. who are making good use of •smaller instruments. It is probable '•also.: that there are some "telescopes (jying. idle. The New Zealand AstroDomical Society is collecting information.with a- view of making as complete 'a eatalcigue as possible of.all the astroibiiiical instrumonts in the country. It ds:.hoped that those who havo not yet "<lone. so will give to tho society as full ; an! account as possible of their equip>mcnt, .and of the way in which it is .teing used. In the event of a Nova or.-a comet appearing, it is always im■■Jportant to get as many early observations as possible. If any telescopes aro ..lying idle, - their possessors are urged ito. present them to the S.S.S., so that ..they., may be lout to branches of tho /society in schools or country districts. .Already three telescopes have been presented, and these have been extremely liseful in arousing scientific interest. of the reflecting telescopes in New Zealand; were made by the late Mr. J. T. Ward, of Wanganui, whose early fleath. was a great loss to science in this country. One fine 20-inch mirror is .now in Wellington; and it is hoped that ■it-will be mounted for use in the projected. Carter Observatory. Mr. R. A. M'lntosh has a 14-inch, reflector myy stalled in his private observatory at Epsom, Auckland, Vhich he uses for

observations of planets, comets, nebulae, and clusters, and also for photographic work. The roof of the observatory runs right off: over a workshop and dark room, and leaves tho telescope arid:::observor open to tho sky. Mr. | M'lntosh is Director of tho Meteor Sec-' tion'of the N.Z.A.S., which is doing most valuable work. Another excellent 12-inch -'reflector by Mr. Ward is in use ty the Astronomical Society in Dunedin. Mr. P. O'Doa, of Hawera, lias a iimilar 12-inch reflector. 1 Th'o Wellington City Council is now the owner of the 9-inch photo visual refractor with which. Father Kennedy did such excellent work at Meeanee ' Observatory, Napier. It is now. fulfilling a very useful purposo in' introducing the Wellington public to the glories of the sky." Near it is the small observatory of the astronomical section of tKe Wellington Philosophical- Society, ■with the King telescope, a 5-J-inch refractor, and a 5-inch, both by Cooke. At-Karori Mr. G. V. Hudson has an observatory, and has carried out regular observations since 1896. His first telescope was a 3in one, but this was replaced in 1903 by a 4-inch equatorial refractor by Steward, London. , With this Mrl Hudson- keeps a watch on the sun. > The spots are recorded throe, or four'times each week., A chart is prepared, -the spots numbered in annual series,. and the return of important groups noted. • Spots of exceptional size ' and interest are reported to the Press. •:A list of southern stellar objects- which aro interesting as seen through a 4-inch teelscopo has been prepared,'and is now roady for. publication. Another most important use is' made of this telescope in encouraging schoolboys to take an interest in tho wonders of the heavens. Mr. Hudson was the first 'here to discover the new star in Aquila on 9th Juno, 1018. This discovery enabled observations to be taken

whilst tlio star was still rising in brightness. It was an exciting experience to watch it through that first night. The star is so -far .off that the light from its outburst must have taken about 1200 1 years to conio t0... tis. The explosion must have taken place-about-the.1 beginning '..of the.seventh century, but the light that reached us was so intense that for a short time it shone in our sky as tho brightest star, in Ilia heavens. | It must then have beon'iibout 300,000] times as bright as the sun. This Nova' was discovered independently also by Mr. A. Gr. C. Crust in Duuedin. This shows the importance of a good knowledge of the starry heavens. Probably 1 thousands of others looked at tho Nova when it was a first magnitude star with--out noticing anything peculiar about it. Most "novae.appear in or near the borders of tho Milky Way, so every lover of-the sky should make himself specially familiar with the galactic constel-. ■latioiis. Under Mr. Ward's able directorship, thp.-Wanganui observatory, with a 9-inch refractor, did much excellent work, and introduced great numbers to the wonders of tho universe. Away in the far North, Mr. C. B. Michie has aroused much interest in astronomy with his SJ-inoh refractor. He has been instrumental in starting an enthusiastic astronomical society. Mr. A. D. Bell, of Shag Valley, Waihemo, near Palmerston South, has a beautifully-equipped observatory with a six-inch.refractor. Mr. A.' W. Burrell made Ms own observatory at Stratford, and did much useful; work with a 5-inch. Cooko refractor, until, tho site was taken for the railway. Interest in astronomy is kept up in Christclnirch by Canterbury College. It is a pity that the other university, colleges and the secondary schools have not each a good telescope. Waitaki High School and Timaru High School each own one, 'but both of

these have been out of uso for some! time": ■.■■■■ ■ ■ ■ . j Mr. P. W. -Glover,, late of Christchurch, now of Wellington, made his own' 6-iiieh telescope. Mr. W. R. 1 Mechaeles, of Alexandra, has a 4J-ineh, Dr. William C. Burns, of Timaru,. a 4inch, Mr. A. C. "Gilford, of Silverstroam, a 4-inch, Mr. J. M'Alister, of Opotiki, a 3-J-inch, Mr. J. M'Carthy, of Kaponga, a 3-inch, and Mr. W; S. Thrush, of Wanganui, a 2J-inch telescope. This very incomplete list is given simply in •the/hope of bringing to light other instruments, especially ones that are not;at'present, in use. If the owners of such ■ telescopes no- longer require them they'may be glad to find someone to-whom they would'be a:-delight. In every■. school .there ■ are somo boys or girls who are, or who would be if they had the;chance, keenly interested in the glorious universe. A little encouragement given to such scientific interest may lead to grand.results in the 'future. ,The: S.S.S. is. prepared to accept instruments/ however small, and to'lend them to its branches. Three telescopes have been given to the. society for this purpose by; Mrs. Mantell, Mrs. J. Adams, and Mr. E.,G. P. Zohrab respectively. It is'1 possible to.make useful observations, such as;those of sun.' spots and of variable j stars,' with quite ■ small telescopes, and. probably in' most cases a certain amount bf."such,work:will be done. But the telescopes given to the society, will be used no doubt chiefly for.star gazing. They will; enable hundreds, who otherwise'would never have the chance, to see many objects of great beauty and interest..; "To be familiar with the rugged' craters of the moon, the phases of Mercury and Venus, the polar caps of -Mars; the <belts and satellites^ of Jupiter, the'-rings ■of Saturn, the star clouds ''of the Milky Way, the ■; strange globular clusters, and the beautiful nebulae,"is a source: of lifelong pleasure.