SOLAR PHYSICS COMMITTEE 39 



The study of the sun is important from two points of view — 

 one is purely scientific, and the sun is regarded as typical of one 

 stage in the evolution of celestial bodies ; the other takes account 

 of his unrivalled influence upon the physical and meteorological 

 conditions of the earth. 



This Memorandum explains how an Australian Solar 

 Observatory will fill a gap existing in the chain of Observatories 

 round the earth, and how her position south of the equator and 

 her unique climatic conditions make her participation in the 

 international scheme of most urgent importance. The Australian 

 movement has received probably as influential support as it is 

 possible to obtain for any scientific project, among others that of 

 the International Solar Research Union, the Royal Society, the 

 British Association, the Australasian Association for the Ad- 

 vancement of Science, the Smithsonian Institution of U.S.A., and 

 other influential scientific bodies in Europe and America, whose 

 views are contained in these pages. 



The Memorandum summarises the practical possibilities of 

 the proposed Observatory, and the national and international 

 advantages that would accrue from such an institution. 



SOLAR rf:search 



The Proposed Solar Observatory ijt Australia. 



That this work is of national importance is shown by the 

 attendance at the last Congress of the International Solar Research 

 Union of Representatives from the Observatories and Scientific 

 bodies of Austria. Belgium, France, German3^ Great Britain, 

 Holland, Hungary. India, Italy, Russia, Servia, Spain, Switzerland 

 and the United States. 



Australia is not represented upon the International Com- 

 mittee, though her co-operation is earnestly desired for the 

 following reasons : — 



1. The Establishment of a Solar Observatory in Australia 

 IS essential for the completion of the International 

 Scheme. 



(a) Because it would fill a gap at present existing in the chain of 

 Observatories round the Earth. 



The existence of the International Union for Solar Research is 

 due to the fact that several problems connected with the sun depend 

 for their solution upon a continuous series of observations made 

 throughout the 24 hours, during which period the earth rotates 

 once about her axis, and presents different parts of her surface in 

 succession to the sun. It has thus passed out of the scope of two 

 or even three stations to deal with such questions — what is 

 required are Observatories spaced regularly round the earth so 



