I have never concealed my opinion that the introduction
and vigorous use of the Altazimuth for observations of the Moon is the
most important addition to the system of the Observatory that has been
made for many years. The largest errors of Burckhardt's Tables were
put in evidence almost always by the Altazimuth Observations, in
portions of the Moon's Orbit which could not be touched by the
meridional instruments; they amounted sometimes to nearly 40" of arc,
and they naturally became the crucial errors for distinction between
Burckhardt's and Hansen's Tables. Those errors are in all cases
corrected with great accuracy by Hansen's Tables.'--The Report
concludes with the following paragraph: 'With the inauguration of the
new Equatoreal will terminate the entire change from the old state of
the Observatory. There is not now a single person employed or
instrument used in the Observatory which was there in Mr Pond's time,
nor a single room in the Observatory which is used as it was used
then. In every step of change, however, except this last, the ancient
and traditional responsibilities of the Observatory have been most
carefully considered: and, in the last, the substitution of a new
instrument was so absolutely necessary, and the importance of
tolerating no instrument except of a high class was so obvious, that
no other course was open to us.
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