Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1925-09-25
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attached permanently to perpendicular wall"
1t is used for measuring arcs of the meridian He
took time to its construction. II was fitted out
with telescopes and very finely graduated. He
rewarded. With 1t he at last able to
observe the stars in the meridian-exactly in the
north or south when they were at their highest
above the horizon.
Flamsteed published his observations in detail
just before his death in 1719. And Flamsteeds
British Catalogue has been called lone of the
proudest products of the Royal observatory at
Greenwich" At that. this Catalogue" was not
by any accurate. Miss Herschel made an
exhaustive examination and found that Flamsteed
had catalogued Ill stars that he had never OBJ
served and had observed 500 that he had not
catalogued.
Nevertheless FIamsteeds work was of vast i'm
portance, due to the fact that it was the first
Of its kind made with telescope and clock. 1t may
fairly be said to be the beginning of modern
precision astronomy nasmuch it determined
the precise position of many of the stars.
It's immediate effect was to fix the meridian
of Greenwich It's later effect was to make the
Greenwich meridian the standard meridian from
which all longitude is measured and all time
counted.
Edmund Haley-of Halley's comet fame-suc-
ceeded Flamsteed astronomer royal. Bradley
succeeded HALEY in 1742.
There have been four astronomers royal be-
tween Bradley and the present incumbent, Sir
Frank Dyson. And, of course the equipment has
been enlarged and modernized. There is a new
observatory, for thing. The old observatory
is still standing and Is venerable relic. The
time ball. known to shippers of the Seven Seas,
drops at exactly one O'Clock p. m.
The United States accepts Greenwich time.
but it does not have 20 watch for the falling of
the Greenwich bali TO know when it is one p. m.
The United States Naval observatory gives the
nation its time Its standard clock is kept in an
underground vault at constant temperature and
air pressure Noon is announced to the nation by
telegraph lines This clock is corrected con-
stantly by series of observations of the sun and
certain fixed stars.
When Greenwich accepted by the world as
the standard meridian from which longitude Is
reckoned 1t was necessary to fix a place
'where days beginsn-where dates are changed
by navigators This international date line" is
the 1SOth degree Of longitude in mid-Pacifc.
Here is an example of the way 1t works:
When 1t is - o'clock Monday at New York
land in other places having eastern time) it is
IL 100 a. M in Chicago; 10 100 a. m. in Denver
100 a. M in San Francisco 1853 a. m. In
Sitka, Alaska; 20 a. m. in Honolulu-all Mon
day But it is Tuesday in the following places
/ :O3 a. m. in Manila; 5 :35 a. m. in Apa, Samoa
2:39 a. m in Melbourne 2:1S In Tokyo; II 40
a. M in Picking. When 1t Is II Monday in
New York 1t is 800 p. m. Monday in London
(Greenwchl
In the United States Naval observatory at
Washington is what the astronomers who use II
call the zenith tube 1t is said to be the only
instrument of it's kind and the best in existence
for its purpose. Anyway. 1t was devised by DIR.
Frank E. Ross Prof F.. b. Ltte is shown using
the instrument TO determine the variation of
latitude al Washington. 1t has been determined
that the axis OF the earth's rotation changes Its
position continually The result is that the North
pole moves around in circle, completing the cir.
cult in about fourteen months This circle is
never greater than sixty feet In diameter So
Peary's North pole AMERICAN flag i not far Out
Of the VI y,