ASTRONOMY ON THE PACIFIC COAST 221 



The Lick and the ]\[ouiit Wilson Solar Observatories are the only 

 ones at present on the Pacific coast whose energies are devoted wholly 

 to investigations. A third will soon be in operation. This is to be an 

 observatory eight miles north of Victoria, B. C, to house the 72-inch 

 reflector of the Canadian government. Dr. Plaskett says : 



Word has been received from Paris that the disc for the mirror is ready 

 for shipment and there is every prospect of the telescope being ready for erec- 

 tion next year. 



This was written in June, 1914. A later report tells us that the 

 disc has been received at Allegheny, and that work upon the mirror has 

 been begun. When comjDleted this will be the second largest reflector 

 in the world. 



In addition to these there are on the Pacific coast several small ob- 

 servatories connected with educational institutions whose principal use 

 is to supplement by practical work the instruction in astronomy in 

 these institutions. Among these may be mentioned the observatories 

 of Pomona College, of Santa Clara College, Chabot Observatory of the 

 Oakland High School (the Chabot Observatory is soon to be supplied 

 with a 20-inch refractor). University of Washington, and the Students' 

 Observatory of the University of California. Besides these there, is a 

 small government observatory, a branch of the U. S. Naval Observatory, 

 located at the naval station on Mare Island, used principally for time 

 service and the regulation of the chronometers of the ships of the Navy. 

 Finally, there are a few small private observatories wherein some ama- 

 teur astronomers delight to "follow the courses of the stars." 



Theoretical as well as practical astronomy is well fostered on the 

 Pacific coast. Its chief development is to be found in the Berkeley 

 Astronomical Department of the University of California. Here has 

 been organized a thorough school of astronomy, than which, according 

 to the late Professor Simon Newcomb, there is none better. JSTot only 

 is the science taught at Berkeley, but also theoretical investigations are 

 continually being carried on. 



It is only natural that in a region possessed of such institutions as 

 I have mentioned there should be a considerable interest in astronom)' 

 among the people. This interest is manifested principally through an 

 organization known as the Astronomical Society of the Pacific with 

 headquarters in San Francisco. This society resulted from the interest 

 taken by a group of amateur astronomers and photographers in the tot^l 

 eclipse of the sun visible in California, January 1, 1889. It has a 

 membership of several hundred who are interested in a general way in 

 the science of astronomy. In addition to its meetings the Society 

 issues bi-monthly its Publications of the Astronomical Society of the 

 Pacific. The Society has been given two funds the interest from which 

 is to be devoted to giving certain medals. One of these is known as the 



