June i, 191 i] 



NATURE 



461 



j( 



The parallax of tt* Orionis is found to be +o-oi2'± 

 0-007", and in the cases of ^ Orionis and S Monocerotis 

 negative parallaxes result from the measures. 



The Paris Observatory. — M. Baillaud's report for the 

 year 19 lo contains a record of a great deal of work 

 successfully accomplished, and, besides, gives interesting 

 accounts of several ingenious instrumental devices. The 

 ordinary astronomical work was carried on as usual, but, 

 together with the observations of H alley's comet and other 

 s()ecial observations, was greatly interfered with by the 

 unfavourable skies at Paris. 



The distribution of time signals by radio-telegraphy 

 took place regularly after May 23, 1910, and on 

 November 23, and subsequently, a signal was sent at 

 11 a.m., as well as at midnight as previously. A brief 

 account of the installation for this purpose is given. 



The Longitude of the Red Spot on Jupiter. — In a 

 communication to the Astronomische Nachrichten (No. 

 4498), the Rev. T. E. R. Phillips records his observations 

 of the Red Spot on Jupiter during the present apparition. 

 These show the remarkable fact that the longitude of this 

 feature has diminished by approximately 30° in the unpre- 

 cedentedly short time of ten months. While in June last 

 year the zero meridian of system ii. practically bisected 

 the hollow, the longitude on April 13 and 16 was but 

 slightly more than 330°. 



Measures of Double Stars. — Lick Observatory Bulletin 

 No. 190 contains the measures of 159 double stars made 

 by Mr. C. P. Olivier. The papyer is the fifth of a series 

 on double stars lying south of the equator, and sixty-one 

 of the present objects are south of —30° declination ; 

 twenty-four new pairs are included. The bulletin also con- 

 tains a table displaying Mr. Olivier's personal equation 

 with respect to Messrs. Aitken and Hussey. 



THE BRITISH SOLAR ECLIPSE ' 

 EXPEDITIONS 



'O continue the hospitality which had been showered on 

 us, Mr. Mills placed a large customs steam launch at 

 our disposal, and the same afternoon took us for an im- 

 promptu cruise about the beautiful harbour, Mr. Hedley, 

 the assistant curator of the Sydney Museum, accompanying 

 us. Unfortunately, however, at about 4.30, while steaming 

 up Middle Harbour, we piled up on a sandbank on a 

 falling tide, and it was not until 7.30 that we were able 

 to float off. As we did not arrive back to the hotel until 

 9 o'clock, our trip to the capital site had to be postponed 

 until ne.xt morning. Mr. Hunt had already sent numerous 

 telegrams and secured tickets and sleeping accommoda- 

 tion in the train, but these were generously replaced by 

 others available for the following day. The next morn- 

 ing (March 21) Mr. Hunt showed me the screens on the 

 wall of the Sydney Post Office, in which were exposed 

 the meteorological forecasts. These seemed to be very 

 popular, judging by the number of people I saw closely 

 examining them whenever I passed by. Then he showed 

 me the meteorological department at the observatory. The 

 view from the tower of this observatory is magnificent, 

 and as I had my panoramic camera with me I took views 

 all round. From an astronomical point of view the 

 observatory is very hampered, for on three sides it is 

 surrounded by closely packed buildings, rendering the 

 atmosphere very smoke-laden. The afternoon was spent in 

 motoring in the vicinity of Sydney, and very fine views of 

 the country were obtained. In the evening Mr. Hunt and 

 I left for the capital site. To reach this region we had 

 to make a night railway journey, arriving at Queanbeyan 

 at 4.30 a.m. At the hotel there we turned in until 

 8 o'clock, and then started away in a two-horsed vehicle 

 for the surveying camp, which is situated on the site of 

 the future capital. This meant a drive of eight miles over 

 a somewhat rough road, but this road is in progress of 

 betterment every day. At this camp we were received by 

 Mr. C. R. Scribncr, the chief Commonwealth surveyor, 

 who has the whole Commonwealth territory for surveying 

 purposes in hand. In his offices we were shown contour 

 maps of the whole region, the sites for the water supply, 



1 Continued from p. 429. 



NO. 2170, VOL. 86] 



railway, &c. He had in process of making some model 

 relief casts made accurately from the contour maps, and 

 these were being coloured before dispatching them to 

 the various world centres for competition. The competi- 

 tion consists of suggestions for the best arrangement for 

 a " model city," and I believe a valuable prize will be 

 awarded to the winner. Mr. Scribner has a nice little 

 meteorological station in good working order near the 

 camp site. 



After lunch we drove a distance of about 6^ miles to 

 the foot of a hill called Stromlow. This hill is 600 feet 

 above the plain below, and its summit is 2600 feet above 

 sea-level. It forms a kind of " Hog's Back " in a north 

 and south direction, the land falling rapidly away on both 

 sides. The eastern horizon is well open, so that solar 

 observations can be made just after sunrise. The observa- 

 tor>- site reminds one rather of that chosen for the Solar 

 Physics Observatory at Fosterdown, Caterham, but, of 

 course, on a very much larger scale. As the nearest town 

 to the Stromlow hill will be the capital site, 6^ miles 

 away, and as the latter will be on the leeward side of 

 Stromlow in relation to the prevailing winds, the observa- 

 tory cannot be rendered ineffective at any reasonably near 

 date. Further, a very large reserve of land all round the 

 hill has been set apart for protective purposes. Both on 

 this and on the hill gum trees are in their thousands, but 

 most of these have been ring-barked, and are therefore 

 dead. The planting of other and quicker growing trees 

 is now going to be undertaken, so that radiation from the 

 ground will be reduced to a minimum. The result of my 

 visit was that I was highly pleased with the site, and Mr. 

 Hunt assured me that the weather conditions all the year 

 round were of the best. The following is the brief report 

 I sent to the Minister for Home Affairs with respect to 

 the Stromlow site : — 



Australia Hotel, 

 Sydney, 

 March 23, 1911. 

 Sir, 



Accompanied by Mr. H. A. Hunt, escorted over the site 

 by Mr. C. R. Scribner, I have now had the opportunity 

 of inspecting the proposed location of the future Solar 

 Physics Observatory. I carefully surveyed the situation 

 with respect to those main requirements which could be 

 judged on inspection, and I feel sure that Stromlow will 

 admirably serve the purpose for the site of a National 

 Observatory such as is proposed. 



In selecting a site for a National Observatory for the 

 study of Solar Physics, it is most important that one 

 should look a long time ahead, and that any site selected 

 now should be as good a site in, say, 100 years' time. 

 The Stromlow site seems to be admirably suited in this 

 particular. .Again, it is fundamental that the observatory 

 should be situated at a high elevation, because definition 

 for solar observations is best in the very early morning 

 just after sunrise, and an unobstructed eastern horizon is 

 imperative. In fact, solar physics observatories are now 

 situated or are now being removed to high localities to 

 secure these observing conditions, and this result is the 

 outcome of considerable experience. 



In the present instance Stromlow is well adapted in this 

 particular, for it is 2600 feet above sea-level and 600 feet 

 above the neighbouring plain, and has an open eastern 

 horizon. The highest points of this site should be utilised 

 for the solar instruments. 



Further, the site is good with respect to the western 

 and northern horizons, rendering the location as an 

 observing station one of the highest order. 



Another important desideration in the choice of a good 

 site is that the northern, eastern, and western slopes are 

 such that there need be little fear from defects arising 

 from the presence of future buildings on them. On the 

 southern side of the site the plateau is very well adapted 

 for the erection of the main business buildings of the 

 observatory, apart from the observing instruments. 



The observatory should be a sufficient distance away 

 from any large town in order to render the sky as little 

 illuminated as possible in the neighbourhood of the 

 observatory from artificial town lights ; in addition, 't 

 should be situated on that side of the nearest town rrom 

 which the prevailing winds blow in order to free the 



