OBSERVATIONS OF THE TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE OF 

 JUNE 8, 1918, AT MATHESON, COLORADO 



D. W. MOREHOUSE 



The Drake University Observatory eclipse expedition occupied a 

 very favorable site at Matheson, Colorado. It was wholly through 

 the courtesy of Dr. Edwin B. Frost, Director of the Yerkes Observa- 

 tory, who with Prof. E. E. Barnard, had selected this station as one 

 of two very desirable locations, that the expedition was so happily 

 situated. 



There were four eclipse parties at this station. Prof. Frank H. 

 Loud was in charge of the company from Colorado Springs, Prof. 

 C. A. Chant represented the University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. 

 Prof. Edison Pettit, of Washburn College, directed the Yerkes Ob- 

 servatory detachment assigned to this site. The writer and his as- 

 sistant manned the instruments of the Drake Observatory. 



The center of the moon's shadow crossed the meridian 103° 59' W. 

 in latitude 39° 9' N. The position of our eclipse station, as deter- 

 mined by Pettit and his party, was : 



Longitude 103° 59' W. 

 Latitude 39° 10' N. 



We were, therefore, one minute of arc (less than a mile) north of 

 the central line. Matheson Station (Rock Island Depot) bears 50° 

 35' East of North, distance 8,430 feet. The altitude is about 6,000 

 feet. 



CONTACTS 



The first and fourth contacts were observed by Pettit and myself 

 through my three-inch finder attached to the equatorial, by the pro- 

 jection method. Professor Pettit caught the first glimpse of the 

 moon at 4" 13"' 49'. 5 and I caught it a half second later. The com- 

 puted times of contact for our station, after applying the correction 

 published by Arthur Newton in the Astronomical Journal No. 7?)l, 

 are: 



