446 



NATURE 



[Jl NE lO, 1909 



7HE RO\AL OBSERVATORY, GREENWICH. 

 "J^HE annual visitation by the Board of Visitors of the 

 Koyal Observatory, Greenwich, was held on Satur- 

 day last, June 5, when, in accordance with the usual 

 custom, the; Astronomer Royal presented his annual report 

 showing' the work performed during the twelve months 

 ended May 10. 



The transit and circle observations, 10,142 and 10,034 

 respectively, included the sun, moon, planets, and funda- 

 mental stars, and observations of stars brighter than 

 magnitude 9 o in the zone 24° to 32° N. for the Oxford 

 astrographic work. From the observations made in 1907, 

 the value of the co-latitude, using Pulkowa refractions, 

 was found to be 38° 31' 21-71". 



F"rom the solar observations of 1907, the tabular value 

 for the obliquity of the ecliptic requires a correction of 

 — 001', whilst the discordance between summer solstice 

 and winter solstice observations, -I- 0-20", indicates that 

 the mean of the observed distances from the pole to the 

 ecliptic is apparently too s.iiall by o-io". I'he 1908 values 

 of the diurnal changes of level and nadir are sensibly 

 smaller than the mean values for the period 1897—1905. 



The mean error of the moon's tabular place, deduced 

 from ninety-si.K observations made during 1907, is —0-3875. 

 in R.,-\. and —0-37" in N.P.D., while from 105 observations 

 the mean error in R..-\., for 1908, is —0417s. 



The Second Nine-year Catalogue (1900), completed in 

 1905, will shortly be ready for distribution. 



The altazimuth was employed as in previous years, and 

 a comparison of the results from the two instruments, 

 altazimuth and transit circlCj shows that the lunar observa- 

 tions agree very satisfactorily. 



A ten-year catalogue of the stars observed with the 

 altazimuth in the meridian, during the period 1899-1908, 

 is to be prepared, and will contain about 1500 stars of 

 the following classes : — (i) stars in Ncwcomb's Funda- 

 mental Catalogue ; (2) stars used for the heliometer 

 observations of the major planets at the Cape ; (3) Eros 

 reference stars, 1900-1 ; (4J moon culminators and other 

 selected stars ; the star-places will be reduced to the 

 equinox of 1900-0. 



With the rcfle.x zenith tube 1040 double and seventeen 

 single observations were obtained during the year, eighty- 

 eight different stars being observed. .\n arrangement for 

 controlling the field illumination of this instrument by 

 tilting the annular reflector proved unsatisfactory, and the 

 variation of brightness is now controlled by a rheostat. 



.With the 2.S-inch refractor, observations of double stars 

 were made from a working catalogue including all known 

 double stars showing relative motion. Hough stars not 

 previously observed at Greenwich, and a number of pairs, 

 having separations of less than 2", selected from Hussey's 

 and .Aitken's catalogues ; among the stars observed were 

 K Pegasi, B Equulei, 70 Ophiuchi, and Procyon. Bifilar 

 and double-image micrometer measures of the polar and 

 equatorial diameters of Jupiter were also made with the 

 28-inch refractor, some measures being made by Mr. 

 Bowycr, before sunset, to ascertain the effects of irradia- 

 tion. The new dusky ring of Saturn, discovered at the 

 Geneva Observatory, was examined on thirteen nights. 



Nearly 300 photographs were taken with the 30-inch 

 reflector, including 23 of Phoebe, 20, 8, and 15 of J vr., 

 J VII., and J viii. respectively, 32 of comet iqoSc for 

 position, and 139, on thirty-seven nights, for the study of 

 the rapid changes in its tail and form. Twentv long 

 exposures were made in the search for Halley's comet, but 

 without success. Whilst comet lOoSc was under observa- 

 tion it was found that the sensitiveness of the plates was 

 lowered by the absorption of moisture during the ex- 

 posures, and the difficulty was overcome bv placing an 

 electric heater, desigfned by Mr. Davidson, in the plate- 

 holder behind the plate. 



In astrographic work, the photographic division made 

 about 12,000 prints, reproducing, on double scale, 202 

 plates. Only 125 plates now remain to be reproduced ere 

 the Green wicli contribution of 1140 plates is complete, and 

 it is hoped that the work will be completed this vear. 



A re-computation of the perturbations of Halley's comet, 

 bv Pontf^coulant's method, gave Aoril 13, instead of 

 .'\pril 8, 1910, as the probable date of perihelion passage, 

 NO. 2067, VOL, 80] 



whilst the method of mechanical quadratures gave 

 April 16; the identifications of- the comet have now been 

 carried back to 240 B.C., beyond which date no satisfactory 

 records exist. 



The observed magnetic elements for 1908 were : — - . 



Mean declination >S°53'5'W. 



,, . . . , , f4"oiS4 (in British units) 



Mean horizontal force \1.q^^Zi . ■ . \ 



(^ I 0528 ( n nietiic units) 



Mtan dip (with 3-in. needles) ... 66" 56' 17" 



and there were two days of great, and six of lesser, 

 magnetic disturbance. 



In the testing division both chronometers and chrono- 

 meter watches showed an improvement in their perform- 

 ances over those of the previous year. 



The time-signal report shows satisfactory performance, 

 but the signals from January i to January 7 were to some 

 extent erroneous, being affected by an uncertain error of 

 the Greenwich clock. 



In concluding his report. Sir William Christie outlines 

 the growth of the observatory's work since 183b. For 

 many years, it is stated, the work of the observatory has 

 been seriously hampered by - the inadequacy of the 

 permanent staff. 



77//r ASSOCIATION OF TEACHERS IN 

 TECHNICAL INSTITUTIONS. 



nPHE third annual conference of the Association of 

 Teachers in Technical Institutions, held at Liverpool 

 during Whitsuntide, was highly successful. On the morn- 

 ing of Monday, May 31, after addresses of welcome from 

 representatives of the Liverpool Education Committee, the 

 president, Mr. J. Wilson, delivered the presidential address. 

 In the course of the address he stated that one of the 

 objects of the association was to further the progress of 

 technical education by breaking down the barriers 

 separating technical institution teachers from those engaged 

 in primary, secondary, and. university work. 



After discussing certain matters of professional interest, 

 such as the proposed minimum scale of salaries, the con- 

 ditions of service of part-time teachers, superannuation of 

 teachers, and the representation of technical institution 

 teachers upon such bodies as local education committees, 

 Ihe consultative committee of the Board of Education, and 

 the proposed Teachers' Registration Council, Mr. Wilson 

 said members may congratulate themselves that, upon the 

 whole, an increasing amount of attention is being directed 

 to technical education. Employers are recognising its value 

 more and more, and sociologists of all phases of political 

 thought are increasingly insisting upon the vital import- 

 ance of technical education to the community. The higher 

 ranks in the commercial world recognise more clearli 

 than their predecessors the necessity for technical educa- 

 tion. The main obstacle lies in the opposition of the fore- 

 men, the Trades Unions, and the apathy of the workers 

 themselves during the critical period from fourteen to 

 twenty-one years of age. 



The work done inside the technical institutions has been 

 characterised of recent years bv a steady improvement, 

 both in quantity and quality., The calibre of the students 

 is slowly rising, and systematic courses extending over a 

 period of vears are being taken by many students, instead 

 of isolated subjects as in the past. The character of the 

 staff, equipment, and courses of instruction (both day and 

 evening) in some of tin- technical schools places them now 

 on an equal educational level with many university 

 colleges. 



After discussing thi- education.al reforms recommended 

 in the Majorilv and Minority Reports of the Poor Law 

 Commission. Mr. Wilson pointed out that, partly as a 

 result of, the Act of 1002, the country is now covered 

 with a network of more or less efficient secondary schools, 

 generally of one type, that is; the old-fashioned " grammar- 

 school " type. We need two distinct groups of secondary , 

 schools, one preparing for the universities or the learned 

 nrofessions, and the other preparing the boys (and girls") 

 for commerce, scientific and technical industries, trades and 

 crafts, while continuing the general education of the 



