REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON OBSERVATORIES 1 27 



[From Dr. M. Nyrin, Wirkl. Staatsrath, Pulkova Observatory^ 



[Translation.] 



Puekova, August 14, 1903. 



The proposition for the observation of stars in the southern 

 hemisphere, which you were so kind as to send me, interests me 

 greatly ; so much the more in reference to some points of the 

 program, because we also here have for a long time cherished ideas 

 tending in the same direction. As a small contribution to the reali- 

 zation of these ideas may be considered, the extension of the Pul- 

 kova Fundamental Catalogue to — 30 , now attained by observa- 

 tions in Odessa. By numerous reference stars these observations are 

 intimately joined with the Pulkova system. I send by this mail 

 the program and the list of stars for this combined catalogue. 



I quite agree with you that the first task for the observing station 

 in the southern hemisphere should be to create a trustworthy funda- 

 mental catalogue from — 20 to the south pole. In this catalogue 

 the Auwers list of 480 stars, extended to the pole, should be in- 

 cluded; but I would add thereto a number of stars, especially in 

 those places where the stars of Auwers' catalogue seem to be brighter 

 than may be desirable for fundamental stars, third magnitude and 

 brighter. In this manner we should obtain a standard list of about 

 600 stars, in accordance with your proposition. 



For the observation of the right ascension of these stars it would 

 not be troublesome to find many places qualified for the purpose. 

 With the declination it is doubtless more difficult ; in this regard 

 even the most southern portions of Australia are, as I think, too far 

 from the poles. Besides, the observations made at the most southern 

 observatory, Melbourne, are apparently affected by suspicious anom- 

 alies in refraction. In my judgment, the fundamental declinations 

 should be observed on the continent of South America, as far as 

 possible south of the — 40 parallel, at a station where the ground to 

 south and to north is as nearly similar as possible. Under favorable 

 atmospheric conditions two observers could accomplish in two years 

 a fundamental catalogue of 600 stars with 8 to 10 observations of 

 each. For the great secondary catalogues, which demand a longer 

 time, the observations, in case of need, could be made at another 

 station, and also with another instrument. 



As the number of fundamental determinations of the southern 

 stars is rather small, the catalogue in question should necessarily 



