XN000022-1983-11-21 — Page 2

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1983

ROYAL OBSERVATORY CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

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THE CELEBRATIONS OF THE CENTENARY OF THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY WILL REACH A CLIMAX BETWEEN NOW AND THE MIDDLE OF NEXT MONTH WITH THE ISSUE OF COMMEMORATIVE STAMPS, AN INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON METEOROLOGY AND AN OPEN DAY.

THE PROGRAMME FOR CELEBRATING THE OCCASION COMMENCED WITH THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY'S NEW CENTENARY BUILDING BY HRH PRINCESS ANNE IN APRIL THIS YEAR.

ON WEDNESDAY (NOVEMBER 23), A SET OF COMMEMORATIVE STAMPS WILL BE ISSUED BY THE POST OFFICE. THE COMMON THEME OF THE STAMPS IS THE PROGRESS THAT HAS BEEN MADE IN THE WORK OF THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY IN THE PAST ONE HUNDRED YEARS.

THE FOUR STAMPS SHOW: THE ORIGINAL MAIN BUILDING AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY HEADQUARTERS STANDING SIDE BY SIDE WITH THE NEW NINE-STOREY CENTENARY BUILDING WHICH HOUSES MODERN TECHNICAL FACILITIES: A CONVENTIONAL ANEMOMETER CONTRASTED WITH A DOPPLER ACOUSTIC RADAR WHICH IS A MODERN REMOTE-SENSING EQUIPMENT TO MEASURE WIND; A THATCHED SHED IN WHICH MEASUREMENTS OF LOCAL TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY CONDITIONS ARE MADE AND A BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF THE EARTH FROM A METEOROLOGICAL SATELLITE, AND OLD AND NEW VERSIONS OF SEISMOMETERS USED TO MONITOR EARTHQUAKES.

A LIMITED NUMBER OF COLOURFUL POSTERS SHOWING ENLARGED VERSIONS OF THE STAMPS ARE ALSO ON SALE AT THE PHILATELIC COUNTERS OF THE GENERAL POST OFFICE AT CONNAUGHT PLACE AND THE TSIM SHA TSUI POST OFFICE.

FROM WEDNESDAY (NOVEMBER 23) TO NOVEMBER 29, THERE WILL BE AN INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON AUTOMATED MESSAGE SWITCHING SYSTEMS FOR REGIONAL AND NATIONAL CENTRES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA'' JOINTLY SPONSORED BY THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY AND THE WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION. PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES WILL INCLUDE CHINA, JAPAN, MALAYSIA, PHILIPPINES, INDONESIA, SINGAPORE AND THAILAND.

THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE SEMINAR WILL BE A SERIES OF LECTURES BY EXPERTS FROM THE WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION, CHINA, JAPAN, THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY OF HONG KONG, CABLE AND WIRELESS (HK) LTD AND THE HONG KONG CIVIL AVIATION DEPARTMENT.

THE SEMINAR WILL BE OPENED BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY AT 9.30 AM ON WEDNESDAY (NOVEMBER 23) AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY HEADQUARTERS CONFERENCE ROOM.

MEANWHILE, A SEMINAR ON DATA COMMUNICATION JOINTLY ORGANISED BY ROYAL OBSERVATORY AND THE HONG KONG INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS, WILL BE HELD AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY HEADQUARTERS ON FRIDAY (NOVEMBER 25).

THE JOINT SEMINAR REPRESENTS A CONTINUATION OF THE LONG TRADITION OF CLOSE CO-OPERATION BETWEEN THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY AND THE ENGINEERING COMMUNITY, SPEAKERS WILL PRESENT LECTURES ON SATELLITE AND CABLE SYSTEMS FOR DATA TRANSMISSION AND REAL-TIME DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEM FOR VERY SHORT RANGE WEATHER FORECASTING.

/OPEN DAYS