Is all well with the meridian of Greenwich? The Astronomer Royal answered the question rather vaguely at the annual visitation of the Royal Observatory yesterday. His visitors included some of the greatest scientists in the land, and he had to pick his words.
He expressed general satisfaction with the report of the experts upon the relations between the Observatory and the neighbouring electrical generation station of the County Council. He trusted that if the recommendations were strictly carried out the work of the Observatory would not be seriously interfered with. At the same time he confessed that further experience when the generating station was completed and in full work might modify his view.
Experiments have shown that vibrations from the engines in the generating-stations can be deadened by thin films of mercury. The Astronomer-Royal sees a more insidious danger in the heated gases discharged from the chimneys. The effect of these on the accuracy of observations of stars near the north horizon may only become apparent in the course of years, when it is found that the results are untrustworthy.
“The recommendations of the committee in this respect,” said Mr. Christie, “represent the minimum which is absolutely necessary, and a further reduction in the height of the chimneys may be required to safeguard the Greenwich meridian work.”
A few secrets leaked out yesterday. One day the wind was so violent that the time-ball could not be raised, and on November 14 it fell two minutes too soon, but was promptly raised again and dropped correctly.
Nor was the clock quite immaculate. On Feb. 8 it was two seconds slow, and on March 12 one second fast.
Nobody outside the observatory seems to have noticed those little eccentricities.
Lloyd’s Weekly Newspaper, London, England, June 9, 1907