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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLVII. No. 1214 



sand dollars, the income of wliicli shoidd be 

 used to aid astronomers in existing observa- 

 tories to work out tbeir special problems. 



In 1890, Miss Catherine Bruce, inspired by 

 this idea, gave six thousand dollars to be dis- 

 tributed in whatever way promised the great- 

 est scientific return. Eighty-six applications 

 were received, showing the great need that 

 was felt by astronomers for just this sort of 

 aid. Fifteen grants were made to men of 

 eight different countries. Among those thus 

 aided we find the well-known names of Adams, 

 Gill, IN'ewcomb, Rowland and Turner. Ap- 

 propriations were also made to international 

 associations of astronomy and geodesy. It 

 was through this gift that the true explanation 

 of the variations in latitude was discovered, 

 which was in itself a complete justification of 

 the plan. 



In 1903, Professor Pickering published a 

 pamphlet showing the valuable results which 

 might be expected by greater cooperation 

 among observatories. He said we find " a 

 great observer but no telescope, a great tele- 

 scope but no astronomer to use it, and an 

 astronomer whose valuable observations, the 

 results of many long years of hard work, were 

 rendered useless by the lack of a few hundred 

 dollars to publish them." He showed how the 

 appropriation of small sums would add greatly 

 to the scientific output and advocated a sort 

 of astronomical clearing house which would 

 coordinate and support the best good of the 

 science. But the results showed that the time 

 was not ripe for such a forward step, for two 

 leading astronomers declined to serve even on 

 an informal advisory committee. A circular 

 at this time was issued asking astronomers 

 to state the needs of their work. Over one 

 hundred replies were received and gave the 

 best and most complete information ever col- 

 lected on the subject. 



In 1904, the director issued another paper to 

 meet the adverse criticism which the project 

 had aroused. Though the ideas of Professor 

 Pickering were not entirely realized, the plan 

 had the effect of improving the relations be- 

 tween astronomers, and eventually a very large 

 degree of cooperation was realized. 



In 1906, an address on " An International 

 Telescope for Southern Latitudes" was given 

 before the American Philosophical Society 

 and the plan received serious consideration by 

 a man of means. 



In Science, 41: 82, Professor Pickering 

 issued a questionnaire to twelve leading Amer- 

 ican astronomers asking them how they would 

 use five thousand dollars if it were given them 

 for research work. As a result of the replies 

 it was found possible, through gifts and grants 

 from existing research funds, to provide for 

 a large part of these needs. 



Probably the director of no observatory of 

 the world has done so much for the cooperative 

 ideal in astronomy nor has shown more un- 

 selfishness in the practical work of cooperation 

 than Professor Pickering. Instead of trying 

 to build up Harvard Observatory as a separate 

 institution exclusively, he has had deeply at 

 heart the advancement of the science regard- 

 less of who should receive the personal credit 

 for the discoveries. 



At the present time a large amount of work 

 is carried on in cooperation with other insti- 

 tutions. One of the best illustrations of the 

 value of this method is the determination of 

 positions of the moon by the united efforts of 

 Princeton, Yale and Harvard. Each observa- 

 tory has carried on the part of the work for 

 which it was best fitted, and which the others 

 practically would have been unable to accom- 

 plish. The combined research has resulted 

 in photographic positions of the moon which 

 are, on the whole, the best so far obtained. 



The most extensive cooperation in astronom- 

 ical investigation is the Astrographic Cata- 

 logue and International Chart of the Sky. In 

 this great work, now well advanced, the deter- 

 mination of stellar magnitudes was assigned 

 to Harvard, and a large part of the work has 

 now been completed. 



By cooperation with the Mount Wilson, Lick 

 and Terkes Observatories the work has been 

 extended to the faintest stars which now ap- 

 pear on photographic plates. 



At present the observatory is determining 

 the standard for the magnitudes of Professor 

 Kapteyn's " Selected Areas." The work is 



