January 5, 191 1] 



NATURE 



3^*9 



THE NEW HAMBURG OBSERVATORY. 



IN the United States the science of astronomy has 

 enjoyed for many years the advantage of liberal 

 financial support, and the erection of a new obser^'a- 

 tory on an imposing scale is no verj- uncommon 

 occurrence. In Europe it is otherwise, and the estab- 

 lishment of a new observatory is a notable event. We 

 welcome it as such, and watch its development with 

 special interest. 



The old obser\ator\- at Hamburg was founded in 

 the year 1825. Its first director was C. Riimker, 

 and the excellence of his services may be judged from 

 the fact that the present staff is engaged uf)on a re- 

 reduction of the catalogue which he formed. In igot) 

 it was decided to remove the obser\'ator\- to a distance 

 from the town, and the necessary funds were voted by 

 the municipality for its equipment. The new site is at 

 Bergedorf, about twelve miles south-east of the old 



equipment — at least two equatorials, for instance, and 

 a meridian circle — into one main building. The same 

 building contained, under the same roof, the working 

 rooiTis of the astronomers, and often — most objection- 

 able feature of all — the residence of the director, and 

 perhaps of an assistant as well. The new Hamburg 

 Observatory carries modern ideas to their logical con- 

 clusion. Ihe isolation of the instruments reduces 

 mutual obstruction to a minimum, makes it possible 

 to design each building solely to the advantage of 

 the instrument it contains, and to a great extent 

 removes the risk of fire, an ever-present danger in 

 climates drier than our own. 



The old-fashioned astronomer would expect a 

 serious disadvantage in the weakening of central con- 

 trol. But this defect is avoided by a complete system 

 of telephonic communication between the several 

 buildings. The central offices of the obser\-ator}' con- 

 tain in a cellar six standard clocks. These are con- 



FiG. I. — The New Hambiu^g Observatory at Bergedorf : View from the Sooth. 



observatory, and about 130 feet above the level of the 

 Elbe. Work on the new institution has proceeded 

 with great energy-, and the obser\'atory "Jahres- 

 bericht " for the year 1909 shows that the con- 

 structional part was practically complete at the end 

 of that year. The report contains an excellent series 

 of photographs of the several buildings in different 

 stages of construction, and gives a good idea of what 

 the observatory- will be when it is in fuU working 

 order. 



The great feature in the plan of the new observatory 

 is the complete isolation of the different instruments. 

 Each has its own building, as shown in the illustration 

 here reproduced. This is a principle to which we 

 have long been tending, and here it is carried out 

 with absolute and logical completeness. We are onlv 

 too familiar with the old st}le of observatory build- 

 ing. Apart from separate structures, which are addi- 

 tions of a later date, it was usual to crowd the whole 



NO. 2149, VOL. 85] 



nected with a switchboard on one wall of a room in 

 the basement. Close by is a chronograph by means 

 of which all the clocks can be compared inter se and 

 with all the observing clocks of the establishment. 

 The Hamburg observatory is responsible for an 

 elaborate public time service. The necessary- electrical 

 arrangements for this are placed on another wall of 

 the same basement room. It is verv' natural that the 

 installation of this complicated sj'stem of wiring has 

 occupied much time, the underground cables alone 

 running to a total length of about 1400 yards. When 

 to the low-voltage system required for the telephones 

 and time service is added the provision for distribut- 

 ing electric light and power, it can be judged to what 

 extent the efficiency of a modern observator\- depends 

 on the technical application of electricit)-. Modem 

 advances in astronomy are often attributed to the 

 spectroscope and the photographic plate. This rather 

 overlooks the help derived from electrical power. 



