OBSERVATORY SITE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3889, 25 September 1928, Page 31

OBSERVATORY SITE.

Dr Adams (Government Astronomer and Seismologist of the Dominion Observatory, Wellington) and his assistant, A. G. C. Crust, have been visitiog Pembroke investigating its suitability as a site for the establishment of an observatory. Although the weather conditions during the past week were not ideal for observation purposes, the sky was clear, and valuable data was obtained. Residents freely availed themselves of Dr Adams’s invitation to view the heavens through the telescope. The school children were also given an opportunity to pick out the stars and planets. On Wednesday, September 5, shortly after midnight, Mr Crust was fortunate enough to witness an interesting phenomenon. When the moon rose it was noticed that there was -a round body just above it, and this ball-like object, recognised as the planet Jupiter, disappeared behind the bright edge of the moon. The reappearance of the planet on the dark side of the moon was awaited with interest, and at three minutes past 12 two of Jupiter’s satellites, our own moon’s cousins, showed out from the dark side. Four minutes later the bright disc of the planet emerged, taking about 48 seconds to do so. Mr Crust reports that the sun at present is in a very active state, and on the morning of Wednesday, September J.2 a chain of great spots abcut 200,000 miles in length was observed. On the las* limb another -great spot accompanied by white .eruptive areas was seen approaching.