VOICE ONE:
The United States NavalObservatory performs an important scientific duty for the UnitedStates, the Navy, and the Department of Defense. This job helps keepAmerica secure. I’m Mary Tillotson.
VOICE TWO:
And I’m Steve Ember. The United States Naval Observatory inWashington, D-C, is our report today on the VOA Special Englishprogram, THIS IS AMERICA.
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VOICE ONE:
The purpose of the United StatesNaval Observatory is to discover the exact position and motion ofthe Earth, sun, moon, planets, stars and other space objects. Inaddition, the observatory establishes exact time, measures theturning of the Earth, and keeps the Master Clock for the UnitedStates.
These astronomical and timing records are very important for theAmerican Navy and Department of Defense. The Navy uses theinformation to help boats find their direction through navigation.The Defense Department needs the information to supportcommunication on Earth and in space. Also, scientists use theastronomical and timing records to carry out research linked to thepurpose of the Observatory.
VOICE TWO:
People who visit the Naval Observatory can see some surprisingthings. For example, there are more than eighty-thousand booksrelated to time and space in the Observatory library. This is one ofthe most complete collections of historic and current scientificpublications.
The library also serves as a storage area for many rare books andpublications dating back to the fifteenth century. They includeworks by British mathematician Sir Isaac Newton, who developed thetheory of gravitation. This theory says gravity pulls all objects inthe Earth’s atmosphere toward the center of the Earth.
VOICE ONE:
Works written by the Italian scientist Galileo are also stored inthe Observatory library. Galileo discovered the four large moons ofJupiter in the early sixteen-hundreds. The moons are named Ganymede,Io, Europa and Callisto. They are also sometimes called the Galileanmoons or the Galilean satellites.
Several works written by other famous scientists are also storedat the Naval Observatory. These include works by German astronomerJohannes Kepler and Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus. Thelibrary mostly serves the needs of scientists who work at theobservatory. However, private researchers are also welcome to usethe books.
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VOICE TWO:
There are several interestingtelescopes at the Naval Observatory. The largest telescope at theObservatory has a glass lens that measures sixty-six centimetersacross. This telescope has an interesting history. It was completedin eighteen-seventy-three at a cost of fifty-thousand dollars. Atthat time, it was the largest refracting telescope in the world.Refracting astronomical telescopes need two lenses to examine imagesin space.
Alvan Clark made the large lens and a support system for thetelescope. He and his two sons owned a lens building company in theeastern state of Massachusetts.
Visitors to the Naval Observatorycan hear how Mister Clark had the glass specially made for thesixty-six centimeter lens. For two years, he rejected several piecesof glass because they were not perfect. Finally, he decided on onepiece made with two different kinds of glass. Mister Clark used hishands to rub down and shine the glass into its current shape.
VOICE ONE:
In eighteen-seventy-seven, just four years after the telescopewas in place, astronomer Asaph Hall discovered the two moons ofMars. This discovery of Phobos and Deimos made the Naval Observatoryfamous. Mister Hall was honored by many of the world’s leadingscientific organizations.
In eighteen-seventy-nine, the astronomer received the Gold Medalof the Royal Astronomical Society of Great Britain. Members of theHall family gave the medal to the Naval Observatory as a gift sixyears ago.
VOICE TWO:
The family also gave the Observatory a special award given toMister Hall by President Abraham Lincoln in eighteen-sixty-four.Visitors can see these two awards and several others given to MisterHall in the Observatory library.
Today, Naval Observatory astronomers still use the telescope thatAsaph Hall used to make his famous discovery. They use it to measurestars and the position of the moons of the furthest planets.
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VOICE ONE:
The Naval Observatory is one of the oldest scientific agencies inthe country. It was first built in eighteen-thirty in the area ofWashington, D-C called Foggy Bottom. At that time, the agency wascalled the Depot of Charts and Instruments. It was responsible forthe care of all maps, sea documents and other navigational equipmentused by the United States Navy. In eighteen-forty-four, theresponsibilities of the organization increased and it was renamedthe United States Naval Observatory.
The ground at Foggy Bottom was often wet because of floodingalong the Potomac River. The conditions were unhealthy. So ineighteen-ninety-three, the Observatory moved north to its currentarea. Richard Morris Hunt designed several of the main buildings onthe new Observatory grounds. He was a famous nineteenth-centuryAmerican architect.
VOICE TWO:
Today, the most famous building on the grounds of the Observatoryis the home of the American vice president. The house had been builtin eighteen-ninety-three for the supervisor of the Observatory. Innineteen-seventy-four, Congress selected the house to be the homefor all future vice presidents. Before this time, vice presidentseither bought a temporary house in Washington or stayed at hotels.
Vice President Gerald Ford and his wife Betty were the firstpeople permitted to live in the house. However, the resignation ofPresident Richard Nixon came before repairs on the house werecompleted. Instead, the Fords moved into the White House when GeraldFord became President.
VOICE ONE:
Mister Ford’s vice president, Nelson Rockefeller, was a wealthyman who had his own home in Washington. Mister Rockefeller did notlive in the National Observatory home. Instead, he used the housemainly as a place to meet special guests. The house finally got itsfirst family in nineteen-seventy-seven. Walter Mondale and his wifeJoan moved in at the beginning of the administration of PresidentJimmy Carter. Every vice president since then has lived in the homeon the grounds of the Naval Observatory.
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VOICE TWO:
The Naval Observatory has many important responsibilities. Forexample, one main duty is to declare official time used in theUnited States. This exact timekeeping is performed with atomicclocks known as master clocks. The time is correct to within onenanosecond a day. That is one-thousand-millionth of a second. TheUnited States military uses this exact time to help withcommunications and navigation.
VOICE ONE:
The Observatory also produces three very important publicationseach year. They are The Astronomical Almanac, The Nautical Almanacand The Air Almanac. These three publications include exactinformation about the position of the sun, moon, planets and starsin relation to air, space and water navigation.
In several years, the Observatory hopes to launch a new satellitespace telescope. The United States space agency, NASA, will takepart in the project. The space telescope will be used to find theposition, distance, motion, brightness and color of aboutforty-million stars in space. By studying these stars, the NavalObservatory hopes to improve the world’s knowledge of the universeand its size.
VOICE TWO:
People can visit the United States Naval Observatory every otherMonday. Visits begin at night and include a presentation of thehistory and purpose of the organization. Visitors can see severalhistoric buildings and the Observatory library. Also, if the weatheris clear, visitors can use the Observatory’s smallerthirty-centimeter telescope to look at the stars in space.
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VOICE ONE:
This program was written by Jill Moss. It was produced by CatyWeaver. I’m Mary Tillotson.
VOICE TWO:
And I’m Steve Ember. Join us again next week for another reportabout life in the United States on the VOA Special English program,THIS IS AMERICA.