DEPARTMENT OF MERIDIAN ASTROMETRY.* 



Benjamin Boss, Director. 



While considerable work remains to be accomplished before the 

 General Catalogue is completed, it is inadvisable to carry it too near 

 the final stages before considering the steps to be taken in the future, 

 lest the machinery of the Department suffer through lost motion, with 

 consequent economic loss. 



In order to direct our efforts where they may accomplish the maxi- 

 mum of benefit to the astronomy of position, a careful survey must 

 be made of past investigations in their bearing upon future needs. 

 We should construe these needs in a liberal sense. For, however praise- 

 worthy it may be for the investigator to open up new fields through 

 his individual efforts, it is far better for his science if, in addition, he 

 so directs his efforts as to provide for the needs of coming generations. 

 A concrete case in illustration of this point is furnished by the past 

 history of star catalogues. The great majority have been formed 

 without any fixed plan or purpose, whereas had they been designed to 

 cover a particular field their usefulness to modern astronomy of position 

 would have been doubled, with no additional expenditure of energy. 



It is also natural and imperative that most careful thought should 

 be exercised to insure the employment of the most economical means 

 in the accomplishment of any undertaking. 



The recent successful applications of photography to the field of the 

 astronomy of position have so materially reduced the cost of pro- 

 ducing a star position that it becomes imperative for any observatory 

 employed in astrometrical work to adopt photographic methods as 

 far as practicable. This does not in any sense involve a change in the 

 fundamentals of the science. The change is merely one in technic. 

 It is clear, therefore, that the Department of Meridian Astrometry 

 must adopt photographic methods in any future undertaking. 



Careful consideration has been given to the problem of the future 

 needs in the field of the astronomy of position for the purpose of select- 

 ing a program for the Department. Following our established lines 

 of research, we will naturally determine star positions. But it must 

 be understood that a star position in itself is at best of very temporary 

 value, and, considered alone, can be applied only to some immediate 

 problem. It is only when the star position is designed to serve some 

 ulterior purpose that it deserves consideration. In the past our object 

 in determining star positions has been to derive their proper-motions 

 with a view to the study of systematic motion; so it would seem but 

 natural that we should continue these studies, utilizing our past exper- 

 ience in mapping out our future program. 



*Address : Dudley Observatory, Albany, N. Y. 



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