Abstract
ROYAL OBSERVATORY, CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.—Dr. Gill, in his report for the year 1896 to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, sums up the work accomplished during the past twelve months. With regard to the McLean telescope, this is expected to be completely installed and in full working order before the end of the present year. During the last few years, Dr. Gill has somewhat necessarily restricted the amount of observational work in order to make more progress in the computation and publication of many arrears, and it is satisfactory, then, to hear that it has now become possible to again resume a programme of activity. Several important publications have been concluded in the last twelve months. Among them may be mentioned Vol. ii., containing a determination of the solar parallax and mass of the moon, from observations of Iris, Victoria, and Sappho, made in the years 1888 and 1889. Vol i. is also practically complete. The first volume of the Cape Photographic Durchmusterung is also ready for distribution, Vol. ii. being in course of printing. The observational work with the transit circle, equatorials, and astro-photographic telescope has been very considerable, and it may be mentioned that all the catalogue plates, with the last-mentioned instrument, have now been obtained. Out of the 230 chart plates, 169 have been satisfactorily exposed. The 7-inch equatorial has also been very busy in the hands of Mr. Innes, and, besides several new variables, 104 new double stars have been discovered. Dr. Gill refers also to the increase in staff and the necessity for a reversible transit circle for refined fundamental work, and mentions that these proposals have been favourably considered by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty and of Her Majesty's Treasury.
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Our Astronomical Column. Nature 56, 185 (1897). https://doi.org/10.1038/056185a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/056185a0