1906] PICKERING— INTERNATIONAL SOUTHERN TELESCOPE. 61 



power, it is probable that visual observations of the surfaces of the 

 outer planets, especially Uranus and Neptune, could be made to 

 great advantage. 



Evidently the material accumulated photographically would 

 greatly exceed what could be properly discussed by a single indi- 

 vidual or institution. Especial pains should be taken to place this 

 material in the hands of any astronomers qualified to use it. The 

 entire collection of photographs should eventually be kept together, 

 where it could be consulted, but copies or enlargements of any por- 

 tion or of the whole should be furnished at cost to any one desiring 

 them. Qualified astronomers, ready to discuss any portion of the 

 work, should be offered the use of the original negatives, given 

 copies, and in every way aided in discussing and preparing the 

 results for publication. It is desirable that they should be published 

 in a separate series of quarto volumes. The fundamental principle 

 should be that the results are for the world and not for a single 

 individual, and every concession should be made to secure the widest 

 use of the material collected. The telescope should be kept at work 

 throughout every clear night. A scheme of work should be pre- 

 pared every year by the aid of an international committee of astron- 

 omers, which should provide for a proper division of the time of 

 the telescope, secure assistance and advice in discussing the results, 

 and, in general, aid in obtaining the best administration. For in- 

 stance, such a committee might spend several days together in New 

 York, travelling and hotel expenses being paid, and care being taken 

 that at least one European astronomer should be present each year. 

 A German delegate might report that in his country a particular 

 astronomer desired to study the distribution and brightness of the 

 stars in globular clusters. A hundred hours might be assigned to 

 this work and five photographs- of each of ten clusters would be 

 taken wdth exposures of two hours each. Contact prints would be 

 made of these photographs and the originals sent to the German 

 astronomer, who might be furnished with means for paying the 

 salarv of an assistant who would make the measures under his direc- 

 tion if the work was considered of sufficient importance. When the 

 research was completed, the original negatives would be returned 

 and added to the rest of the collection. The results would be printed 



