Hong Kong Observatory
| Hong Kong Observatory 香港 天文台 |
|
|---|---|
| Headquarters | 134A Nathan Road, TST , Kowloon, Hong Kong , China 
|
| founding | March 2, 1883 |
| Employees | 312 (March 2017) |
| budget | HK $ 474.7 million (2017/2018) |
| ladder | Shun, Chi-ming 岑智明 (Director of the HKO) |
| website | www.hko.gov.hk weather.gov.hk |
The Hong Kong Observatory , or HKO for short ( Chinese 香港 天文台 , Pinyin Xiānggǎng Tiānwén Tái , Jyutping Hoeng 1 gong 2 Tin 1 man 4 Toi 4 ), before 1997 also known as the Royal Observatory Hong Kong ( 皇家 香港 天文台 ), is a department of the city administration from Hong Kong . The HKO is subordinate to the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, or CEDB ( 商務 及 經濟 發展 局 / 商务 及 经济 发展 局 ) of the Hong Kong city government. The observatory carries out weather forecasts and issues warnings about weather-related risks. It also monitors and assesses the level of radiation in Hong Kong. Finally, it provides meteorological and geophysical services to meet the relevant public needs as well as those of shipping , aviation , industry and engineering .
overview
The observatory was founded in 1883 by the ninth governor of Hong Kong, Sir George Bowen . Early duties included meteorological and magnetic observations, providing a local time based on astronomical observations, and a tropical cyclone warning service .
The Hong Kong Observatory was built in Tsim Sha Tsui on the Kowloon Peninsula in 1883 . Due to the rapid urbanization, the observatory is now surrounded by skyscrapers ; its location was not relocated despite the unfavorable urban climate . In 2002 the observatory opened a public office on the 23rd floor of the nearby Miramar Tower , where the observatory's publications can be purchased and other meteorological information can be accessed.
Building of the observatory
The old observatory building, built in 1883, is located on Observatory Road ( 天文台 道 ) in Tsim Sha Tsui on the short 200 m long connecting road to the main artery Nathan Road in Kowloon. It is a two-storey plastered brick structure, which is characterized by arched windows and long verandas . Today it houses the directorate's office and the administrative center of the observatory.
The Centenary Building ( 百 週年 記念 大樓 / 百 周年 记念 大楼 - "centenary building") is located in the immediate vicinity, right next to the site of the old observatory building. It is the headquarters of the Hong Kong Observatory and was built in 1983 to commemorate the observatory's centenary.
public relation
The Friends of the Observatory , an association founded in 1996 to support the observatory's public relations work, has more than 7,000 members. It provides access to the scientific activities and promotes the exchange between the observatory and the public. The sponsoring association's events include regular scientific lectures and visits to the facilities of the observatory. Every fourth month a newsletter is published for the members of the association (name of the magazine: 談天說地 / 谈天说地 , Tántiān-shuōdì , Jyutping Taam 4 tin 1 -syut 3 dei 6 ). Voluntary guided tours are possible for the public after prior registration by members of the development association, which include a visit to the headquarters of the observatory and in which information on the history of the observatory, its surroundings and the meteorological science applied there is conveyed.
The observatory organizes regular visits for secondary school students . This mediation program has been extended to other groups in recent years, such as primary school students, senior citizens and public employees. In winter, when the employees of the observatory are mostly not involved in serious weather matters and surveillance, they give lectures in primary schools. In 2003, a public traveling exhibition was also held in large department store chains. In 2003, more than 50 press releases were issued and seven press conferences were held to promote public understanding of the observatory's services and the benefits of its operations.
See also
Web links
- Official website (Chinese, English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ 125th anniversary - Hong Kong Observatory. In: hko.gov.hk. December 27, 2012, accessed September 18, 2018 (English, Chinese).
- ↑ a b Hong Kong's administrative budget - Head 168 - Hong Kong Observatory (estimate) (PDF; 1.3 MB; English)
- ↑ HKO, Tsim Sha Tsui - Declared Monuments - Antiquities and Monuments Office. In: amo.gov.hk. July 31, 2018, accessed September 18, 2018 (English, Chinese).
- ↑ HKO, Buildings. In: hko.gov.hk. December 27, 2012, accessed September 18, 2018 (English, Chinese).
Coordinates: 22 ° 18 ′ 9 ″ N , 114 ° 10 ′ 27 ″ E