ASTRONOMY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8558, 22 October 1913, Page 8

ASTRONOMY

GIFT TO PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. An interesting meeting of the astronomical section of the Philosophical Society was held at the Observatory at Kelburne last evening. Dr Hector, who presided, gave an address on “Simple-Methods of Determining the Meridian,” accompanied by a number of useful illustrations. Qn behalf of his mother, Lady Hector, the doctor presented the society with a fine series of lantern slides of astronomical subjects, which were formerly in the possession of the late Sir James Hector. He also exhibited a number of scientific instruments, including a special type of sundial (lent by Mr E. W. Hursthouso), from which the standard New Zealand time can bo obtained whenever ,the sun is shining. The dial is regulated for all necessary purposes, and is very simply used, and the time can be ascertained to a minute. . Some remarks on “The Adjustment of the Equatorial Telescope” were made by Mr C. E. Adams, who exhibited an exceptionally fine set of photographs taken with the 60-inch reflector telescope at Mount Wilson Observatory in America—the largest reflector in the world. The views comprised stars, nebulae and star clusters, -and are considered the best specimens of their kind at present in New Zealand.