KDomledge & Seientifie Hems 



A MONTHLY JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 



Conducted by MAJOR B. BADEN-POWELL and E. S. GREW, M.A. 



Vol. II. No. 4. 



[new series.] 



APRIL, 1905. 



Entered at -[ 

 Stationers' Hall J 



SIXPENCE. 



CONTENTS.— See Page VII. 



TKe Coming Total 

 E^clipse. 



By W. Shackletox, F.R.A.S. 



In addition to registering tlie corona on the photo- 

 graphic plate, bright stars included in the field of view 

 of the lens may be recorded. 



The sun will be situated in the constellation Leo, 

 about 8° S.E. of Regulus. The chart given below shows 

 the aspect of the sky at the time of the eclipse. It will be 



seen that it is the same as the evening sky near the 

 middle of the present month about g p.m. Mercury will 

 appear in close proximity to the sun, being about 3^^ to 

 the S.W. ; the eclipse taking place only 10 hours after 

 inferior conjunction of the planet with the sun, thus he 

 will appear as a very delicate crescent. Venus is situ- 

 ated about 39' to the west, and is gibbous. 



Observers provided with telescopes could not do better 

 than confine their attention to the examination of coronal 

 detail in the neighbourhood of prominences or near the 

 poles. 



Quoting from the British Astronomical Association's 

 Report of the eclipse of igoo : " In spite of the diffusion 

 of photography, it may well be that in the future from 

 time to time an observer may find himself at a total 

 eclipse with a telescope, but without photographic appli- 

 ances. There will be still work for him to do in such a 

 case ; and in any case we cannot assume, until we have 

 both telescopic scrutiny and photographic records 

 throughout all the varying phases of a complete solar 



Aspect of the sky at the time of Eclipse (Spain). 5 Mercury. ? Venus. 



