STUDY OF ASTRONOMY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23810, 17 May 1939, Page 6

STUDY OF ASTRONOMY

RESEARCH IN NEW ZEALAND WORK OF CARTER OBSERVATORY An outline of the research work to be conducted at the new Carter Observatory which will shortly be established in Wellington was given last night by the director, Mr M. Geddes, in an address delivered in the Museum lecture hall under the auspices of the Astronomical branch of the Royal Society. The president of the branch (Mr W. D. Anderson) occupied the chair. During the past 20 years. Mr Geddes said, astronomy throughout the world had undergone very great changes indeed, and the beginning of the twentieth century had seen the commencement of great development in the science. With the development of telescopes the impression seemed to have arisen that observations could be carried out only with large instruments, and unfortunately this was a viewpoint that had done a good deal of harm to the study of astronomy in New Zealand. Actually, the hundreds of small observatories throughout the world, which were doing steady routine work, were responsible for research of the utmost importance. In New Zealand, although astronomical research was carried out with comparatively small instruments, some exceedingly valuable work had been done, particularly in respect of gaining knowledge of heavenly bodies which were relatively near the earth. Genesis of Observatory The programme which had been laid down for the Carter Observatory did not aim at anything spectacular, Mr Geddes said, but rather attempted to set in train routine observations of every-day objects. .It was in 189 b. that Charles Rooking Carter left a sum of money to be devoted to the establishment of an observatory in Wellington. This sum, in the intervening years, had built up to about £14,000 and a Bill had been passed by Parliament providing for a grant of £750 from the Government, £250 from the Wellington City Council, the transference of the nine-inch telescope and equipment in the Wellington City Observatory, and the transference on loan of the equipment and library In the Dominion Observatory. It was probable that the new observatory would be completed in about five months. , , t . Turning to the work that was to be carried out at the observatory, the lecturer said that routine research work would comprise the general programme. Already, observers in New Zealand had reached the stage of deciding at which locality aurorae occurred, the height of the auroral arc, and the height of the rays. The study of the characteristics of New Zealand aurora? would be continued by the Carter Observatory, and two stations already established in Southland for auroral research would be under the control of the observatory. The study of the sun would also form an important phase of the activities of the observatory staff. The Spectrohelioscopc With the aid of a series of lantern slides Mr Geddes then went on to show how the sun's surface and mechanism could be explored by an instrument known as the spectrohelioscopc. The solar work in Wellington would be carried out by means of this instrument, aud there was a vast field in the correlation of the work being done by the two stations in Southland and the solar work in Wellington. Dealing with other branches or research work which would be carried out in Wellington, the lecturer said that it was proposed to make routine observations of Venus, of which very little was known, although it was the closest planet to the earth, and or Mars, which also was relatively near to the earth. In the lattei case what ever was visible would be plotted, and a study would be made of the surface. Jupiter and Saturn would also come under observation, as would also the known minor planets, comets, stars, and star clusters. In conclusion Mr Geddes emphasised the desire of the staff of the observatory to co-operate with amateur astronomers throughout the Dominion. »