, SUPPLEMENTARY PAPERS. 99 



astronomers, who are desirous of making use of astronomical informa- 

 tion. And in such respect this sacrifice ceases so to be considered 

 and is transformed into an act of public utility with regard to all 

 astronomical details which stand in clear relationship with the outer 

 ■ world, in which almost daily conflicts come to the surface between 

 the different de^gnations of dates. Conflicts, among others, which 

 even are injurious to astronomical labours in such observatories, 

 where observations are continually adjusted to the day. 



Great Britain, apparently, has the greatest reason to be satisfied 

 with the Washington Resolutions, for, in her case, there is the 

 gi'eatest accomplishment of her wishes, with a minimum of discom- 

 fort and sacrifice. The cartography of the whole Kingdom and its 

 Colonies is already based on the Meridian of Greenwich, and the 

 notation of time in commercial relations in civil life in England and 

 Scotland is determined by mean Greenwich Time, which hereafter 

 also will be recognized as Universal Time. This preference is a 

 tribute of gratitude for the immense expenditure of time and labour 

 which for more than two centuries English astronomers, navigators 

 and geographers have continuously bestowed on geography and navi- 

 gation, far exceeding all that in this respect has been done by all 

 other countries. But, on the other hand, this preference has 

 imposed upon England the moral obligation to exert herself to carry 

 out earnestly the wishes expressed at the Washington Conference, 

 namely, the establishment of accord between ordinary Astronomical 

 ;ind Nautical Time notation. It is deserving of comment that this 

 obligation is recognized and that the present Astronomer Royal, Mr. 

 H. M. Christie, already has taken the first step in this direction. 

 Since the 1 st of January of this year, the date of observations, and 

 chiefly in the interior economy of the Greenwich Observatory, the 

 date will be set forth equally for the mean Greenwich Time 

 hitherto used and also for Universal Time. In all the publications 

 issued from this Observatory the old mode of notation will be main- 

 tained until it appear advisable to use exclusively Universal Time. 

 At the same time Mr. Christie has given instructions that the great 

 dial which stands at the entrance to Greenwich Observatory, which 

 in a manner regulates the time for the whole of England, being con- 

 tinually brought into requisition by the public, henceforth will show 

 Universal Time from midnight to the 24 succeeding hours. It must 

 appear not less important that the directors of the Nautical 

 Almanac have in deliberation whether and when the corresponding 

 changes in its arrangement with regard to all other disseminated 

 Ephermerides are to commence in order to make them accord with 

 the Date-notation of Universal Time. Possibly it might be arranged 

 to come to pass for the year 1890. 



While the Directors of the Pultowa Observatory make their full 

 acknowledgment to the Astronomer Royal for this precedent which 



