"OTHER WORLDS THAN OURS."
AN INTERESTING LECTURE
"Other Worlds Than Ours" was the subject of a most interesting lecture at the Museum Hall last evening. The audience was indeed privileged to .hear such a lecturer as Miss Mary Proctor, daughter of the late Mr. R; A. Proctor, the distinguished astronomer/. The title of the lecture was "Other.Worlds Than Ours," familiar to Btudents of astronomy as the name of one of the late Mr. Proctor's most popular works. The lecturer covered the widest possible field in a roost entertaining and lucid manner, aided by a splendid series of lantern illustrations. Its main interest, however; centred round the sun, and the study of solar phenomena, to which Miss Proctor has devoted special attention during the past fifteen years. Her first experience of a solar eclipse was in the North of Norway in 1896, the spetcacle, finely described by Miss Proctor, being witnessed from the deck of a tourist steamer near the Lofoden Islands. A second total eclipse* Miss •Pjoctor viewed from Virginia Beach in 1900, and a third at Burgos in Spain m 1905. Incidents on these occasions were described with a delightfully whimsical humour. An interesting description of the work of the solar observatory on Mount Wilson in Southern California gave a clear idea of the work of Professor Hale, the greatest solar observer m tho world, and the discovery of the nature of the sun spots as stupendous magnetic storms in the fiery cloud vapours of the surface of the sun. Miss, Proctor showed how conclusively it had been proved that these magnetic storms in the sun affected terrestrial seasons, and urged the importance from every point of view of solar investigation. There was' great need, she said, of a solar observatory in the Southern Hemisphere, especially somewhere in Australasia, so that the sun might be under observation the whole twenty-four hours of the day throughout the year. In this -way it might eventually become possible to forecast not only the -weather of to-morrow but the weather of the next year— which would be of incalculable value in determining the nature of the seasons and what crops to sow and how best to prepare for the inevitable. At present there was a gap of 150 degrees an tne chain of solar observation, representing about ten hours when the sun could not be examined. New Zealand s position in the Southern Hemisphere^ made it essentially suitable for the establishment of a solar observatory, and she understood that the climatic conditions in Central Otago were absolutely ideal for observation. (Applause.) She did riot advocate the expenditure of any large sum of money. i<he beginning might be in a very small way—she instanced the splendid work done by Dr. Kennedy at Meanoe, work which was exemplified by some fine photographs thrown on the screen and much applauded. She did not see why they should wait for the visit of the .-British Association for the Advancement or Science in 1914 to make a start. They might very well pushed ahead now. (Applause.) L
Miss Proctor concluded with a brief but luminous survey of the various stages of planetary life a s exhibited by Jupiter, Saturn, the Earth, Mars, and the Moon
The chair wag occupied by Mr. Babbage, and the lantern was: worked by Mr. T. W. Downes.
At the conclusion of the lecture, WJiich was listened to with much interest throughout, Miss Proctor was accorded a hearty vote" of thank's.
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Bibliographic details
Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12857, 24 December 1912, Page 2
Word Count
577"OTHER WORLDS THAN OURS." Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12857, 24 December 1912, Page 2
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