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Report on astronomical observatories for 1886 / by George H. Boehmer
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ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORIES.

391

New Haven, Connecticut .

Winchester Observatory of Tale College.

Longitude from Washington, 0 h lG m 30.L 8 E.

Latitude, 41° 18' 30.5" N.

Authority for longitude: U. S. Coast Survey. For latitude: Zenith tele-scope observations in 1857-58. (SeeAm.Jour, ofSci., vol. 30,p. 52, second series.) Coast Survey latitude, 41° 18' 10" 67 N.Directors: E. Loomis, 1831.

D. Olmstead, 1836.

C. S. Lyman, 1847.

II. A. Newton.

The liorological bureau is a department of the Winchester Observ-atory organized in January, 1880, with a special equipment of instru-ments for a regular and extended public time service. The standardtime by law of the State is that of the meridian of the city hall, NewYork, which is 4 m 19.6 s slow of New Haven and 12 m 10.5 s fast of Wash-ington. Another important work of the bureau is the testing of watchesand chronometers in the interest of the watch manufacture, for whichhot and cold closets and other special facilities are provided.

There is also connected with the observatory a thermometrical bureau ,in charge of Dr. Waldo, for the verification of clinical and other ther-mometers.

Instruments :

(a) Meridian circle: Makers, Ertel & Sons, 1845. Formerly theproperty of the U. S. Naval Observatory . Altered by William J.Young, 1855, and regraduated 1876. Diameter of circles, 40 inches;divided to 2'; read by six microscopes to 1"; aperture of objective, 3.8inches; for observations of the sun, aperture employed, 1.7 inches;magnifying power ordinarily employed, 190 diameters; focal length,58.2 inches.

(b) Meridian transit instruments: One made by O. S. Lyman, of 36-inch focal length; aperture, 2.6 inches; magnifying power, 185 diame-ters. Circle , 12 inches, reading to 10" by verniers; it has declinationmicrometer and fine level, for use as zenith telescope, made in 1852-’53-One by Trougiiton & Simms, London; aperture, 3.99 inches; magni-fying power, 150-200 diameters; focal length, 5.108 feet, (b') Combinedtransit and zenith telescope, 36-incli focal length ; aperture, 2.6 inches;power, 185diameters ; 12-inch circle, reading to 10" by verniers; decli-nation micrometer and sensitive levelfor latitude work; made in 1852-’56:object-glass by Fitz, design and mounting by C. S. Lyman.

(c) Equatorial instruments: Makers, Alvan Clark & Sons; aper-ture Of objective, 9 inches; magnifying powers of eye pieces, 40, 80,140,200, 280, 450, 620. (&) Portable 4'g-incli refractor by Messrs. Clark &Sons.