MOON IS STRAYING

Grey River Argus, 13 August 1937, Page 12

MOON IS STRAYING

ASTRONOMER ROYAL’S • PROBLEMS. LONDON, July 2. Fellows of the Royal Society made their annual visit to Greenwich Observatory and after approving the report of the Astronomer Royal, Mr H. Spencer Jones, joined nim as hosts at a garden party. The guests included relatives of all ages. Famous scientists like Sir William Bragg, the president 'of the Royal Society, Sir, Arthur Eddington and Sir James Jeans helped the observatory staff in giving simple answers to divers questions. “Tim,” the telephone talking clock of the Post Office, is controlled by hourly signals from Greenwich, and many of the questions dealt with this widely-used service. The Astronomer Royal referred to two mysteries in his report. First, the moon is moving off its calculated course, and, second, 15 books missing from the observatory’s library cannot be traced. The departure of the moon fr.m its mathematically prescribed course, he stated, continues to increase and is now greater than at any time since the year 1680—just after the founding of the observatory.

SUNSHINE’S LOW RECORD. Other interesting points in the report were:—On five days in the year ending April 30th, Big Ben was more than a second wrong. The sunshine recorded during the same period was the smallest amount for 40 years. Atmospheric pollution at Greenwich was 25 per cent, worse than in the previous 12 months. The rainfall from January Ist to April 30th of 12.85 in. has never previously been approached in Greenwich Observatory' records for the same three months of the year. Big Ben, it was explained, does not receive automatic correction signals, as is popularly supposed, but is corrected by hand. Sun-spots actively increased greatly during the year, and Considerable magnetic disturbances were recorded at the Abingei’ station at times, roughly corresponding to periods of maximum sun-spot intensity.