Abstract
MELBOURNE OBSERVATORY.-The twenty-third Annual Re port of the Board of Visitors to this Observatory, together with the Annual Report of the Government Astronomer, have just reached us. The visitation took place on October 4, 1888, and the Astronomer's Report is for trie year ending June 30, 1888. The principal points of interest in the Reports are those refer ring to the great reflector and to the new photographic tele scope. The mirrors of the former instrument had become so dull that their repolishing was rendered imperative, and the work was to be done at the Observatory itself, the risk and cost of, sending them to England being prohibitory. With a view to this important operation, a number of small mirrors have been repolished, in order that the necessary experience might be ac quired before the great mirrors were taken in hand. The new telescope for the photographic survey was well advanced, ani Mr. Ellery expected that Melbourne would be ready to enter on her share of the work as soon, if not sooner, than the other associated Observatories. The Government of Victoria, besides supplying the necessary funds to enable the Observatory to take part in the photographic survey, had granted ^2300 for the erection of a dwelling-house for the Director within the Obser vatory grounds. The new transit-circle and the two equatorials had been in constant use, and were in good order; 2962 obser vations of right ascension, and 1434 of Polar distance, having been obtained with the former during the year. The photo-heliograph had been subjected to a slight alteration, the front lens of the secondary magnifier having been previously too close to the primary focus, so that much trouble was caused from the magnified images of any particles of dust which might lodge upon it. The sun-pictures had, in consequence of the time employed over this alteration, not been so numerous as usual, a record of the sun's surface being only obtained on 129 days. With the great telescope, eighty-one nebulae were observed or searched for.
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Our Astronomical Column . Nature 39, 592–593 (1889). https://doi.org/10.1038/039592a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/039592a0