Abstract
THE HILL OBSERVATORY, SIDMOUTH.—The council of this observatory has just issued its annual report for the year ending June, 1920, and it is satisfactory to note that all instruments and other equipment are in good condition and that the observatory is now in full working order again. The chief work under taken consists in photographing the spectra of stars down to magnitude 5.30 and classifying them accord ing to Sir Norman Lockyer's scheme of increasing and decreasing temperatures. Spectra are also photo graphed of nebulæ and other special objects. An interesting addition has recently been made to the regular work of the observatory in the farm of a line of investigation suggested by Prof. W. S. Adams. Prof. Adams has found that the relative intensities of certain lines in stellar spectra vary with the absolute magnitude of the star, and thus, provided the apparent magnitudes are known a fairly simple method is available for the determination of stellar parallaxes. The line intensities referred to are measured by means of a wedge of dark glass specially made for the purpose, the position of the wedge being noted at which the lines are just obliterated. Some encouraging results have been obtained from preliminary work. A party of members of the British Association visited the observatory at the close of the Bournemouth meeting. The party included several eminent astronomers, some of whom have consented to form a research committee, intended to act as an advisory body on all matters connected with the research work of the observatory.
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Our astronomical column. Nature 105, 726 (1920). https://doi.org/10.1038/105726a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/105726a0