Convention of Eminent Astronomers on Mount 



Wilson. 



William II. Knight. 



A body of distinguished men engaged in a special branch 

 of astronomical research work assembled at the Solar Observa- 

 tory on Mount Wilson for a four days' session from August 

 31 to September 3, 1910. It was the fourth conference of the 

 International Union for Co-operation in Solar Research. 



Thirteen different countries in Europe and America, and 

 fifty different observatories and laboratories were represented. 

 It should be remarked incidentally that the Astronomical and 

 Astrophysical Society of America had convened at the Harvard 

 Observatory about the middle of August, and Dr. Hale 

 arranged to have the Solar Union meet a fortnight later so 

 that the European members could visit Harvard on the same 

 trip. 



They did so and then came across the continent in a body, 

 reaching their headquarters in Pasadena August 28th. On 

 the 29th they visited the Laboratory on Santa Barbara Street 

 and inspected the most completely equipped shops for the 

 construction of astronomical instruments, the grinding of 

 lenses, and the operation of spectrographs apparatus in the 

 world. Here was a force of women computers measuring star 

 positions on the photographic plates made at the Mount 

 Wilson Observatory. The visiting astronomers were much 

 interested in the extensive reference library, and pointed out 

 to each other learned articles which they had contributed. 



On Tuesday morning a line of carriages was drawn up 

 at the Hotel Maryland and all who chose were conveyed over 

 the new toll road constructed by the Carnegie Fund at a cost 

 of about $50,000, for the purpose of hauling up the 

 heavy castings and other parts of the great instruments. 



In my wagon were Sir Joseph Larmor, Secretary of the 

 Royal Society; Prof. Dyson of the Royal Observatory of Scot- 

 land, since appointed Royal Astronomer at Greenwich ; Prof. 

 Barnard of the Yerkes Observatory; Dr. Ephraim Miller of 

 the University of Kansas, and Dr. Adams of the Mount Wil- 

 son Observatory. Dr. Deslandres of the Meudon Observatory 

 occupied Mr. Adams' place a part of the way. 



The road was dusty but the crowd was jolly and enjoyed 

 the scenery, the deep canyons, the geological formations, the 

 magnificent mountain pines, and the grand outlook over the 

 valley. 



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