Plaskett Report for June 1923


The observing weather was a little better than for the preceding month, though far below the usual good summer seeing. On 19 nights or parts of nights 117 spectra were obtained.

[The Saanich Council approved paving of the first mile of West Saanich Road north of Observatory Hill Drive, Ed.]

Tue, Jun 19, 1923 – 14 · The Victoria Daily Times (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada) · Newspapers.com

[The monthly Talks on Astronomy column was written by R. K. Young and appeared in the June 3, 1923 edition of the Daily Colonist. The article reported on The Results of the Canadian Expedition to Test the Einstein Theory, Ed.]

Director J. S. Plaskett was absent on business until June 13. He obtained 9 spectra on 1 night. Made focus tests of new Ross lens and did work in preparation for a paper on “Camera Objectives for Stellar Spectrographs”. Administrative duties.

Research Astronomer W. E. Harper obtainde 51 spectrograms on 7 nights. Measured some new lines correlating line intensity with absolute magnitude and completed fine curves for same. Performed administrative duties in the absence of the Director.

Astronomer R. K. Young obtained 34 spectra on 6 nights for radial velocity and absolute magnitude. He continued work on absolute magnitude obtaining reduction curves giving relation between absolute magnitude and line intensity, and type to line intensity. Began reading off absolute magnitudes and parallaxes for F-type stars.

Assistant Astronomer H. H. Plaskett absent until June 27 at Mount Wilson. Obtained one long exposure spectrogram. Corrected proof of Volume II, Number 12.

Temporary Assistant W. H Christie obtained 22 spectrograms on 4 nights. Continued compilation of the Card Catalogue of Radial velocities. Measured 12 spectrograms for radial velocity.

Clerk-Stenographer Miss H. R. Keay handled the usual correspondence, plates and accounts. Read the proof of Volume II, Numbers 10 and 11. Read the page proof of the Descriptive Booklet on the Observatory. Kept transferring the record of periodicals to the new book and prepared volumes for binding.

Instrument Maker Foreman T. T. Hutchison assisted in observing on 15 nights.

[The monthly Talks on Astronomy column was written by R. K. Young and appeared in the June 3, 1923 edition of the Daily Colonist. The article reported on The Results of the Canadian Expedition to Test the Einstein Theory, Ed.]