AN ECLIPSE EXPEDITION TO SPAIN 551 



AX ECLIPSE EXPEDITIOX TO SPAIX 



BY Dr. S. A. MITCHELL 

 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 



IF we could sum up the total duration in minutes and seconds of 

 recent eclipses, we should be astounded that astronomers from 

 such phenomena have discovered so very much. Since the spectro- 

 graph and the photographic plate were first used together at an eclipse, 

 the sun has been covered up by the moon somewhat less than twenty 

 minutes of time, yet, in these few moments, a great wealth of informa- 

 tion has been gained from the eclipsed spectrum. Each eclipse settles 

 some problems, and teaches us how to attack others, and astronomers 

 are most enthusiastic at such a time, trying new instruments and im- 

 proved methods of research. More interest was shown in the 1905 

 eclipse than ever before, one reason for this being that the moon's 

 shadow path fell upon a readily accessible part of the globe, and the 

 eclipse occurred at a time of the year (August 30) when most college 

 men were having their summer vacation. At the last eclipse, in 1901, 

 American astronomers had to travel as far away from home as possible, 

 in that a trip half way round the world was taken ; and when one con- 

 siders the number of instruments, and the great amount of freight that 

 the modern astronomer has to carry with him, the task is no small one. 



At the eclipse of last year the moon's shadow touched the earth's 

 surface at sunrise in Manitoba, and after crossing through Canada 

 at cannon-ball speed, it left Labrador about 8 a.m. on its trip across 

 the Atlantic. Shortly after noon the shadow cut into Spain, then on 

 through the Mediterranean, northern Africa, Egypt, and left the earth's 

 surface at sunset on the coast of the Indian Ocean. 



Spain was chosen by the majority of astronomers, both because the 

 duration of totality was longer, and because the weather conditions 

 promised better; and here in a path one hundred and twenty miles in 

 width running diagonally across the peninsula, hundreds of astron- 

 omers, American and European, were gathered. 



The party sent out by the United States government was under the 

 general direction of Eear-Admiral Colby M. Chester, U.S.X., superin- 

 tendent of the Xaval Observatory. Three men-of-war were furnished 

 by the Xavy Department for the purposes of the expedition, the 

 U. S. S. Minneapolis, IT. S. S. Dixie and U. S. S. Ccesar, the first 

 named being the flagship of the squadron. 



The three vessels left separately from the United States about the 

 end of June, and met in Gibraltar about the middle of July. ' Gib ' 



