ILLUSTRATED ASTRONOMICAL LECTURE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18906, 5 July 1923, Page 3

ILLUSTRATED ASTRONOMICAL LECTURE.

A SURVEY OF THE HEAVENS. It was evident from the large attendance in thß medical lecture room. King street, on Tuesday evening to hour the Rev. U. Dutton speak upon astronomical matters tliat a great many people in Dunedin are deeply interested in the subject of astronomy. The title of the lecture was ‘‘A Popular Survey of the Heavens,” and it Was given under the auspices of the Astronomical Branch of the Otago Institute, Professor D. R. White occupied the chair, and in introducing Mr Dutton said that many years ago that had given a. lecture at. the Otago University when there was an audience of only two persons, and ho (the speaker) was one of them. It had been suggested that the lecture should be postponed, but Mr Dutton had said that it was not the audience that he was interested in,: it, was his subject. lie (Professor White) hud been a pupil of Mr Dutton's ever since. The Rev. Mr Dutton said he felt very greatlv flattered at having such a pupil as Professor While. The incident referred to had quite passed from Ids memory, and it was refreshing to have it recalled. If one wanted to do anything with a subject he wanted to be chiefly interested in the subject and not so much in Ids audience. He had been very much interested in the lecture they had hod on southern stars at the last meeting, and had thought that that, evening he would give those present an opportunity of seeing something of the stars and star-clusters that had been referred to. He was not going to lecture to them in the ordinary sense. lie would take them far out into space, on a journey which, by express train.- would occupy 12 OOO.COO years—a period rather beyond the stretch of human life. Ho would begin with things that were near home and work on to things (hat were more distant. He was quite sure, whatever they might feel with regard to his, remarks, they would be deeply interested in the pictures he was 'about to show them, and he would like (hem to realise that these pictures were real nhotogranhs. They were not in any sense' ‘Talced.” 'they had been taken at the" great Dick Observatory, and they would realise that tiiey were genuine. Tie wanted thorn to realise that they were viewing- the real thing, and were seeing things as they presented 'themselves to the most capable of our astronomers of to-day. rfomo people thought an observatory consisted of a telescope, and that it would be very well equipped with only that. A wellequipped observatory had a number of instruments and three' were 1 essential- -the telescope, the speei roscope, and the tele-t-e-opic camera; and in ver-ent years the camera, had proved one of the l most effective instruments in observational astronomy. The room being darkened. Mr Dutton then showed pictures of the T.ic-k Observatory in California, under the dome of which he' mentioned lay the remains of the man who had so richly endowed the observatory ; of the solar system, which he explained ; of solar eclipsesof the moon; of the planets; of niasip of nebula;', etc. At “e .conclusion of the display, the. Chairman warmly commented upon the very interesting evening which Mr Dutton had provided for them, and mentioned that; lie and the Rev. Mr Kairelough had been the pioneers of the study of astronomy in Dunedin. Tie moved a hearty vote of thanks to Mr Dutton, sine] this was carried by acclamation.