| Description | ' The Committee met at the rooms of the Royal Socity at 11.30 am
Present: Sir Frank Dyson in the chair; Sir William Christie; Father Cortie; Dr Crommelin; Professor Eddington; Admiral Field; Colonel Grove-Hills; Dr Jeans; Mr Jones; Mr Knobel; Lietenant Colonel McClean; Professor Newall; Professor Turner; Professor Fowler, Secretary.
Professor Conrady and Professor Plummer attended the meeting by invitation of the chairman.
The Minutes of the preceding meeting ware read and confirmed.
Arising out of the Minutes, Professor Fowler informed the Committee that the general opinion of American astronomers and others who had been consulted was in favour of the next meeting of the International Astronomical Union being held about the end fo June 1922.
The Secretary reported that the sum of £400 had been received from the Government Grant Committee for preliminary expenditure in connection with the Eclipse of 1922, and had been placed on deposit.
The Proposed expedition to Christmas Island in 1922 was taken into considertion. Sir Frank Dyson reported that he had obrained a further estimate for the necessary alterations to the mounting of the Greenwich Astrographic telescope, and that the sum required for this purppose would not be less thatn £475. In view of the desirability of utilising this expedition for the comparison of northern adn southern standards of phtographic photometry, he had approached the Admiralty with a view of arranging for the observers to stay for six months on the island. The Admiralty had agreed to pay the maintenance expenses of two observers, Mr Jones and Mr Melotte, at an estimate of £500, and the Committee would thus be left to provide travelling expenses and the cost of fitting out the expedition. The following provisional estimate for the Christmas Island expedition was submitted;
Aalterations to mounting of equatorial ... £475
Dismounting and carriage ... £50
Breech End, and dark slides ...£50
Observing huts ... £100
Packing cases ... £50
Labour ... £50
Insurance ... £50
Travelling expenses, two observers ...£400
Local labour and carriage of instruments ... £125
Total; £1350
After consideration of possible observing sttions in Australia to which attention had been directed by Mr W E Cooke and Mr R C Gray, the Committee decided that Australian stations should be left to Australian astronomers, and that if a second expedition were sent out it should be sent to the Maldive Islands.
The Chairman and Secretary reported tht in order to facilitate decisions they had requested Professor Eddington, Professor Conrady, Professor Plummer and Mr Davidson to act as a Sub-Committee to consider and report on the question of instruments to be employed in the Maldive Islands. They had also requested Professor Turner, Professor Plummer, and Sir Frank Dyson to act as a Sub-Committee to report on the possibility of working an expedition to the Maldive Islands in conjunction with the proposed expedition for the exploration of the sea.
The Sib-Committee reported tht although the Cook astrographic telescope would probably be available if required, it would be desirable to use a lens of longer focus, and a lens of ordinary type having a focal length of 18 feet and an aperture not less than 7 inches was recommended. It was further recommended that the telescope should be used without a coelostat, and a temporary mounting of special design provided for it. The Committee resolved to adopt these recommendations.
On behalf of the Second Sub-Committee Professor Turner stated tht the 'Challenger' Committee were prepared to contemplate the possibility of being made ready in time to take observers to the Maldives in 1922, but it was not yet possible to say how much assistance coudl be rendered to the Eclipse expedition.
The following provisional estimte of the cost of an expedition to the Maldive Islands was submitted by Sir Frank Dyson;
New object glass ...£200
Telescope mounting ... £500
Observing huts ... £100
Dark slides ... £50
Packing ... £50
Insurance ... £50
Travelling Expenses and maintenance, two observers ... £500
Local labour and carriage of instruments ... £125
Total; £1575
On the proposal of Professor Turner, seconded by Sir William Christie, it was resolved tht an expedition be sent to the Maldive Islands if funds can be obrained. Further considertion of the personnel o this expedition was deferred.
It was proposed by Professor Turner, seconded by Colonel Grove-Hills, and carried, that application be made to the Government Grant Committee before the end of the present year for the sum of £1500, with an intimation that appliction for a further sum of about £1000 would be made during the next year.
The Secretary read a letter which he had received from Mr E H Reyner, suggesting, with the concurrance of Sir Joseph Petanel, that the facilities of the National Physical Laboratory might be available for the improvement of the coelostats without expense to the Committee. The Secretary was requested to inform Sir Joseph Petanel that the Committee would welcome any assistance which could be given by the Laboratory towards securing better performances of these instruments.
The draft of the Annual Report of the Committee was read and approved, and ordered to be sent to the Royal And Royal Astronomical Societies. ' |