NEW ZEALAND TIME SERVICE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8750, 4 June 1914, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND TIME SERVICE

ARRANGEMENTS

The Hector Observatory, Wellington, N.Z., May Ist, 1914.

The following notice is published for general information,:, and supersedes notice No. 1 of February 26th, 1912, published in the ’‘New Zealand Gasset© oi February 29th. 1912. • C. B. ADAMS. Government Astronomer. POSITION OFJTBANBIT INSTEUThe adopted position of tha transit instrument at the Hector Observatory, Wellington, is longitude lib 39m 4.27 s east of Greenwich, latitude lldeg 17m 3.76 s south ; height, 418 it above 1909 mean sea level. TIME SERVICE. 1. ACCURATE TIME SIGNALS. On days when accurate' time signals are given, the flag T of the international code Will bo hoisted on the Observatory flagstafl about midday. . (a.) When the flag m flying, chronometers may be compared with a galvanometer in the public telegraph office, Featheraton street. This' galvanometer la Controlled by the Observatory clock, andis deflected every hour of New Zealand mean time. . , ' . , , ' (b.) Time signals are given by three electric lights erected On the Observatory flagstafl. The bottom light is green, and is 39ft above the ground; the middle light is ted. and is 36ft above the ground; the top light is white, and is 42ft above the. ground. . . Tho green light is shown at SO .minutes, the red Tight at 10 minutes, and the white light at S minutes to the hour; ail three lights are extinguished aimultaneonslv at the hour. The switch-ing-on of the lights, must be considered as only approximately correct; the correct time w given by switching off the three lights. This signal is given at 8, 9. 10 and 11 p.m. of Now Zealand mean time. . The corresponding Greenwich mean time (counted from noon) and New Zea. land civil mean time (counted from midnight) of these signals are as under: Q.M.T. N.Z.C.M.T, h. m. g. h. m. s. Green switched on 19 40 0 19 10 0* Red switched 0n... 20 20 0 19 50,. 0 - ' White switched on 20 25 0 19 55.0* All switched 20 30 0 20 oOf •Approximate fTime signal. And similarly at each succeeding hour until 23h 30m G.M.T. 2. APPROXIMATE TIME SIGNALS. When owing to bad weather or other causes accurate time signals cannot be given, approximate ones will be given j but in these cases the flag will not be hoisted and the green light will not be shown. On application to the Observatory tho error of these signals can usually be obtained. 3. TIME SIGNALS BY TELEPHONE AND BY TELEGRAPH. Arrangements can usually be made to give time signals by telephone or by telegraph to any part of the Dominion on application being made to the Observatory. . .' , .