OTAGO INSTITUTE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21985, 21 June 1933, Page 10

OTAGO INSTITUTE

ASTRONOMICAL- BRANCH

In the physics lecture room at the. Otago University last night Mr M. Geddes gave an address, under the auspices of the: As-; tronomical branch of the Otago Institute, on “ Astronomy Without a Telescope.” The chair was occupied by Dr Jack."; . ■ Mr Geddes said there - were three large branches of naked-eye astronomymeteors, zodiacal light, and auroral display. Dealing with, the first branch he said that shooting stars or meteors. provided a large amount .of work for' astronomers in .various' partd of the world. It was calculated that every day 1,000,000 meteors entered the - atmosphere of the earth. In the, winter months, of .May to August there was ■ a greater number of meteors seen than at other times of the year. A similar relation wag fomid. in I the northern area, though it was about ’ December that the greatest number was seen there. Up to 50 years ago no systematic observation :was carried out. It was not Until several great showers of meteors were seen in the middle of‘}ast century that people began to wonder whether there could be some explanation for their appearance, and so the study of meteors commenced. . Soon it was ; jeen" that the study was not nearly so simple ' as it -was thought it' would be. It was evident that meteors were ; .broken-bp comets. Touching on the zodiacal light,he pointed to. the interesting fact that, when observed about 10. o’clock at night it seemed- like an oval patch, while about midnight.,it was circular. No.reason had, been advanced for this change. He explained several theories that h*aive been ■ put forward for the appearance of the... light. In answer to . a question, he said there were records of meteors striking vari-. ous parts of New Zealand, but they weighed only a few pounds." He saw a record , at - one, time of a meteorite landing in the main street of n small town in New Zea- - land, hut ; he had never discovered the name of the town. A warm vote of thanks .was accorded Mr Geddes for his instructive address. - .