REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON OBSERVATORIES 135 



[^From Dr. W. H. M. Christie, Astrotiomer Royal, Greenwich.^ 



Greenwich, August 2g, igoj. 



1 fully agree with the Committee that a much larger provision 

 for astronomical observations in the southern hemisphere at the 

 present time is desirable, and that with this object a Southern 

 Observatory of an expeditionary character for definite pieces of 

 work which could be completed within a limited number of years 

 should, if practicable, be established. 



Taking the special observations regarded as important by the 

 Committee : 



I. The proposed fundamental determination of star positions 

 would be of great value. With this should be combined observa- 

 tions of the sun and determination of position of the ecliptic. 



Observations of the moon, as nearly continuous as possible through- 

 out the lunation, for several years are very much needed for the im- 

 provement of the lunar tables in regard to terms of short period, 

 and these might well be combined with the observations of funda- 

 mental stars. 



Observations of the planet Mercury are also much wanted. 



2 and 3. I fully agree as to the importance of these and the need 

 for making provision for them. 



4. This does not seem to me so much needed at the present time. 

 The obser\^ation of reference stars for the plates of the astrographic 

 catalogue now being carried out at Cordoba, the Cape, Sydney, and 

 Melbourne largely covers the ground, and though the number of 

 stars is less than on the plan of the Astrono^nische Gessellschaft, the 

 place of a far greater number will be determined from the photo- 

 graphic plates with an accurac}^ greater than that of meridian 

 observations. 



There is, however, a gap in the southern zones for the astro- 

 graphic catalogue, viz., zones — 32° to — 40°, the plates for which are 

 being taken at the Perth Observatory (West Australia), but with 

 little prospect of their being measured there or of the necessary ref- 

 erence stars being observed. Another zone, — 17° to — 32°, under- 

 taken by Montevideo, is in even worse condition, the funds for pro- 

 viding the photographic telescope not having been granted as yet, 

 though promised by the president of Uruguay. 



In place of 4, I should prefer to substitute the completion of the 

 zones of the astrographic catalogue by the taking and measurement 

 of the plates and the observation of the reference stars for the zones 



