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Astronomical Sites. A preliminary inspection of proposed astronomical sites in Otago was made by me in November, 1920, and recommendations were made to the Hon. Minister that precise tests should be made at certain localities, selected during the, inspection, as likely to prove good sites. This important work is necessary in view of the offer* by the Yale University to present :\ large refracting telescope to New Zealand, and to provide, some of the astronomical staff necessary to use the telescope to carry out researches on the southern stars. Observatory Advisory Board. An Observatory Advisory Board has been set up to advise the Hon. Minister on Observatory matters. The Board consists of the Engineer-in-Chief and Under-Secretary for Public Works (Chairman), the Under-Secretary for Internal Affairs, the, Naval Adviser to the Government, the Surveyor-General, and the Government Astronomer and Seismologist. Astronomical Equipment. The only astronomical telescope the Observatory has in use is the, 3in. transit telescope ; and for observations out of the meridian no equatorial telescope is available. Accordingly it has been necessary to use private telescopes for other observations. The need for equipment is serious, and the lack of it continually hampers and restricts the scientific activities of the Observatory. This Lunar Eclipse of 21st Apiul, 1.92.1. This eclipse, was not visible in England ; so requests were made to New Zealand astronomers to observe the occupations of a, number of faint stars during the eclipse. Mr. L. J. Comrie forwarded the detailed predictions, which were supplied to New Zealand astronomers. In many places bad weather prevented observations, but at Wellington, Hawera, Stratford, and New Plymouth satisfactory observations were obtained. Staff. The staff has remained the same as last year, and comprises one professional cadet and one clerical cadet. New Zealand Institute Science Congress. At the New Zealand Institute Science Congress held at Palmerston North from the 25th to the 29th January, 1921, the following papers were read by me: (1) "The, Horizontal Pendulum"; (2) " The Transit; Micrometer " ; (3) " The Earthquake of 20th September, 1920 " ; (4) " A National Observatory for New Zealand "* ; (5) " The New Zealand Astronomical Society."t The following resolutionsj relating to the Observatory were carried at the congress :— 1. "That this congress congratulates the Government on the beginning made to equip the Hector Observatory with improved seismological equipment, as urged at the last congress, and thai} owing to the importance of seismology to New Zealand the, congress desires to urge the Government to add to the, equipment of the Hector Observatory by providing another Milne-Shaw seismograph, so that both horizontal components may be determined, and that a vertical-component seismograph also be provided." 2. "That this congress urges upon the Government and people of New Zealand the great importance of accepting the generous offer to New Zealand of astronomical equipment and staff made by the Yale University Corporation, New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.A." 3. " That this congress urges upon the, Government the importance of taking steps to participate in the determination of the, longitude of the Hector Observatory by radio-telegraphy from the Greenwich and Paris Observatories, as recommended by the Bureau dcs Longitudes, Paris." Associates in Astronomy. Mr. A. C. Gifford, M.A., F.R.A.S., was appointed Honorary Associate in Astronomy of the Hector Observatory. Mr. C. E. Adams, D.Sc, F.R.A.S., was appointed Associate in Astronomy of the, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.A. Publications. The following Observatory bulletins have been published : — Bulletin 30 —"Provisional Wireless Time-service Notice," by C. E. Adams. Bulletin 31—-" The Samoan Observatory," by C. E. Adams, D.Sc, F.R.A.S., Government Astronomer and Seismologist, and Professor E. Marsden, D.Sc, F.R.A.S. ; " A New Zealand Department of Volcano Research," by T. A. Jaggar. Bulletin 32 —" Report of the Government Astronomer, 1920." Bulletin 33—" Observations of Southern Variable Stars," by C. E. Adams ;" A Brief Method of calculating Occupations of Stars by the Moon/ by C. J. Westland, F.R.A.S. Bulletin 34—" The, Initial Radiation from a Nova," and " The Great Velocities of the Planetary Nebula'," both by A. C. Gifford. Bulletin 35—" A National Observatory for New Zealand," and " The New Zealand Astronomical Society," both by C. E. Adams.

* Hector Observatory Bulletin No. 35, and New Zealand Journal of Science and Technology, Vol. iv, p. 91. t New Zealand Journal of Science and Technology, Vol. iv, p. 96. % New Zealand Journal of Science and Technology, Vol. iv, p. 44.

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