2I 4 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



remain with ns, a most interesting ob- 

 ject for observation. 



On December 22 at 4.46 A. M. (East- 

 ern standard time), the sun will reach 

 its lowest position in the heavens and 

 at this instant winter will begin. This 

 will also be the shortest day of the pre- 

 sent year, this day being no less than 

 five hours and thirty minutes shorter 

 than the following night. 



Private Observatory at Duluth. 



Mr. J. H. Darling has recently com- 

 pleted an observatory at Duluth. 

 Minnesota, and installed a 9-inch re- 

 fractor. This is for the owner's private 



Superior and 927 feet above sea level. 

 It is not far from the business portion 

 of trie city and the harbor but the pre- 

 vailing winds are such that smoke from 

 the mills, elevators, etc., does not reach 

 the observatory. Weather records 

 show that an average of about one-third 

 of the days are clear, one-third art 

 cloudy, and one-third are partly cloudy. 

 Air conditions appear to be fairly good 

 as far as can be judged from a number 

 of years use of a 33/2 -inch telescope. 

 The electric lights of the city are liable 

 to interfere some with the seeing, but 

 probably not to a serious extent. 



The observatory is located on city 

 property, in an unimproved park. Per- 



MK. DARLING'S OBSERVATORY AT DULUTH. MINNESOTA. 



use, to view celestial objects and for 

 an aid to his study of astronomy. It is 

 his desire also to make this observa- 

 tory a means of awakening an interest 

 in this noble science among the people 

 of his city and of contributing towards 

 a popular knowledge of the subject. 

 There has been, it is believed, no tele- 

 scope in Duluth or its vicinity larger 

 than 3 T /2-inch and these with a tripod 

 mounting and moved by hand, so that 

 this larger and clock-driven instrument, 

 suitably housed, will go toward filliner 

 a want in the community. 



The site is about 325 feet above Lake 



mission was given to use this site on 

 condition that the observatory should 

 be open to the public at such times and 

 under such conditions as the owner 

 Might deem practical and advisable. The 

 owner will endeavor to arrange in some 

 way for the continued maintenance and 

 use of the observatory after he has done 

 with it, possibly by the High School 

 or the State Normal School located in 

 Duluth, or by the city direct, so that it 

 will remain a permanent city institu- 

 tion. The cost of the observatorv has 

 been a little more than $n,ooo- — Popu- 

 lar Astronomv. 



