102 LIGHT SCIENCE FOR LEISURE HOURS. 



our air is blended with the light from the corona. 

 Altogether, I am disposed to believe that at this stage 

 of our progress chief reliance is to be placed on the 

 powers of photography. After Mr. Broth ers's success 

 during the last eleven seconds only of totality (for a 

 cloud veiled the eclipsed sun for the first two minutes), 

 it may fairly be hoped that by applying his method 

 the photographers may obtain such pictures of the 

 corona as will throw an altogether new light on this 

 wonderful solar appendage. 



St. Paul's Magazine, December 1871. 



THE ECLIPSE OF 1871. 



ASTRONOMERS have seldom reaped a more abundant 

 harvest of facts during a total eclipse (making hay, 

 after their fashion, when the sun is not shining) than 

 they did during the eclipse of December 12th last. To 

 say that the anticipations which they had formed were 

 amply fulfilled, would be to say far less than the truth. 

 Although all hoped that important facts would be 

 discovered, few expected so complete a success as has 

 actually been achieved. The eclipse of 1842, when 

 the sun's coloured prominences were first observed; 

 that of 1860, when they were first photographed ; that 

 of 1868, when their real nature was first determined ; 

 and that of 1870, when the solar corona was first photo- 



