112 THE INDIAN ECLIPSE, 1898, 



MR. WESLEY'S EEPORT ON THE CORONA OF 1898 FROM THE 

 PHOTOGRAPHS. 



THE general aspect of the corona, as shown on the series of 

 negatives taken in India by the members of the Association, 

 is that of an irregular four-pointed star. As is indicated by 

 the outline diagram which forms the frontispiece to the present 

 volume, the points of the star are formed by the great conical 

 masses of rays in the north-east, north-west, south-east and 

 south-west. Consisting of rays curving together, these conical 

 masses were appropriately named by Mr. Kanyard synclinal 

 groups. These synclinal groups, showing double curvatures on 

 each side, occupy approximately the same positions as in the 

 coronas of 1886 and 1896, but present considerable differences 

 in their structure. Those on the north-east and south-east are 

 very similar to each other, both being much inclined from the 

 radial in the equatorial direction. They taper towards their 

 extremities into somewhat fine, nearly parallel rays, extending 

 to a distance of 3 J or 4 diameters from the limb. Their broad 

 bases meet on the limb near the equator, the space between 

 them being filled by a large tuft of shorter, spreading rays ; 

 this arrangement gives a fish-tail form to the corona on the 

 eastern side. 



The synclinal groups on the west are very different in 

 character from those on the east, and do not resemble each 

 other. The north-western synclinal group is ill-defined in its 

 boundaries. Its principal feature consists of a pair of fine, 

 perfectly straight, nearly parallel rays, which can be traced 

 downwards to 6' or 7' from the limb, and extend to a distance of 

 about 2J lunar diameters. The most north-easterly of the pair 

 is radial, and almost exactly 45 from the equator ; the other 

 ray is 4' or 5' distant from it. Fainter rays between and on 

 each side of the pair follow almost exactly the same direction. 

 Dense conical masses form the base of these fine rays, but in 

 one case at least, the mass curves strongly towards the fine ray, 

 and when very close to it suddenly alters its curvature 

 into parallelism with it, but does not appear to touch it. This 

 north-western synclinal group forms the shortest and least con- 

 spicuous of the four points of the star to which the corona has 

 been compared. 



A great contrast to this is afforded by the south-western 

 synclinal group. It is very well marked, very definite in its 

 boundaries, and appears surrounded by faint envelopes. It is 

 nearly radial, and its centre is prolonged into a thin, straight 

 ray, which can be traced on one of the photographs to at least 

 5J diameters from the limb. This is not only the longest 

 extension of the corona of 1898, but is by far the longest that 



