Abstract
MR. A. G. C. CRUST, Meteorological Office, Wellington, New Zealand, has written directing attention to the advantages offered by certain sites in that country for the establishment of a large astrophysical observatory. Since statistical observations of the distribution of the various astrophysical objects over the sky are necessarily incomplete without observations of the southern skies, it is vitally important for the progress of astrophysics that a really large reflector should be established somewhere in the southern hemisphere. The only reason for the delay is, of course, the expense of erecting and maintaining an observatory with a large telescope, which would be considerable. So far, no private person or public institution has come forward with an offer to finance such an enterprise—instead, an extremely insular spirit has been exhibited in some quarters, and there seems to have been a reluctance to place the best interests of observational science above local considerations. New Zealand offers the advantage of a relatively high southern latitude, but it seems improbable that the astronomical observing conditions can surpass those of the Orange Free State and Transvaal, which have received extremely favourable reports from experienced observers who have worked there. Nevertheless, the claims of New Zealand should not be allowed to pass by without some examination. Mr. Crust points out that in Central Otago there is a treeless area at an elevation reaching 3,000 ft. where the rainfall is less than 15 inches a year, while the number of clear nights may be so high as 276 a year.
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Astrophysical Observations in the Southern Hemisphere. Nature 132, 509–510 (1933). https://doi.org/10.1038/132509d0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/132509d0