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A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
From: David C
Date: 2023 Jun 8, 21:40 -0700
Here is an explanation of the electric light time signals in Wellington.
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZTIM19120222.2.83
New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 8042, 22 February 1912, Page 8
HECTOR OBSERVATORY, WELLINGTON.
Latitude 41deg 17min 3.76sec south. Longitude 11hr 59min 4.27sec east of Greenwich. Height above 1909 mean sea level, 418 feet.
CHRONOMETER RATING NOTICE. At 1 p.m. to-day a galvanometer signal for rating chronometers will be sent from tho Observatory to tho Public Telegraph Oltlce. and to the Dominion Museum, The needle will move tit 1 p.m. exactly of New Zealand standard mean time, when a chronometer set to Greenwich mean time should show 13hr30min, Any difference will be the error of the chronometer on Greenwich mean time. At 9 p.m. correct time will also bo signalled from the Observatory by means of electric lights. A green light will be switched on at about 8.45 p.ra., a red one at about 8.55 p.m.. and a white one at about 8.59 p.m., and all lights will be switched off at 9 p.m. exactly of New Zealand standard mean time. The preparatory switching on of the lights must be considered as only approximately correct and must not be used for rating chronometers, The correct time for rating will be given by switching off tho lights simultaneously at 9 p.m. C. E. ADAMS, Government Astronomer.
