November, 1905.] 



KNOWLEDGE & SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



271 



THE TOTAL ECLIPSE OF 1905. 



A JOINT meeting of the Royal Society and the Royal 

 Astronomical Society was held on October ig to re- 

 ceive the reports on the observations of the recent 

 eclipse from the several parties sent out under the 

 auspices of these Societies. 



The Astronomer-Royal gave a full account of the 

 doings of the expedition to Sfax, and exhibited some 

 fine photographs; Prof. N. L. Callendar narrated his 

 experiences in Spain, when a thick cloud entirely im- 

 peded observations; Mr. J. Evershed and Mr. H. F. 

 Newall also ga\e accounts of their observations, the 

 latter showing a series of interesting photographs; and, 

 finally, Prof. H. H. Turner told of what was done in 

 Kgvpt. On the whole, these reports may seem a little 

 disappointing, as nothing at all of a novel or specially 

 interesting character seems to have been observed or 

 recorded. Some faint oval patches or rings in the 

 corona just above the large prominence were noticed 

 by Sir W. Christie, who suggests they are the results 

 of a large and sudden explosion. 



It seems a great pity that some of these fine photo- 

 graphs should not be published for the benefit of the 

 astronomically-inclined public, especially considering 

 that the costs of obtaining them were, to a large 

 extent, defrayed out of public funds. 



The following accounts from observers in different 

 places should prove of interest. 



At AlcaLlaL de CKisvert. 



By Professor Marcel Move / Un'uerslty of Montpellier i. 



I observed this magnificent eclipse at Alcala de Chis- 

 \ert, a little town on the oriental coast of Spain. I 

 venture to say I was favoured by the Spanish skies 

 The day before we experienced dull and wet weather, 

 and hope was almost gone ; but at night the clouds 

 broke away, and stars were glittering everywhere. At 

 sunrise, however, an ominous strip of clouds was hang- 

 ing on the south, and all the morning we watched them 

 on the horizon — a rather painful watch. 



The first contact was seen in a perfectly pure sky, 

 but, some minutes after, two or three cumuli went from 

 Ihe west, and slowly made their way before the sun. 

 We were again almost in despair, but at the eventful 

 moment the clouds were far north ; totality displayed 

 its beauties without interference, except, at the end, 

 for a light, transparent vapour of which I shall say a 

 word later. 



In order tO' secure good observations, I sketched for 

 myself a verv limited programme, and I had plenty of 

 time lo fill it without hurry. I intended to observe, 

 ist, shadow-bands ; 2nd, corona ; 3rd, general aspects 

 of the eclipse. 



Shadcnv-bamis. — First as to shadow-bands. In the 

 eclipse of 1900, at Elche, I had a good view of this 

 phenomenon, and I was eager to see again these enig- 

 matic bands. Here are my results. 



I saw shadow-bands three minutes before and three 

 minutes after totality, being unable to catch them 



during the total phase. They were greyish bands, not 

 black, tolerably distinct and very wavy. Direction 

 from south-west to north-east, and motion perpendicu- 

 lar, namely, from north-west to south-cast, before and 

 after totality. I must add that the -wind — moderate — 

 was blowing from south-west, and clouds went from 

 west or west-north-west. 



On the soil, white and smooth (the platform of the 

 • Vlcala .-itation), I had some rods with metric gradations. 

 I estimated the width of the bands at two inches, and 

 their distance apart at three or four inches. Their 

 motion was slow, difficult to count exactly, perhaps one 



The Corona as seen at Alcala de Chis\ert, by Professor M. Moye. 



or two inches per second. Vou will obtain a good illus- 

 tration of the shadow-bands by stretching a rope by 

 one end and making it waving with your hand by the 

 other end. 



For the observation of the corona, I used a good 

 opera glass. I sketched carefully the coronal streamers, 

 and I had time enough to compare my drawing with 

 the eclipsed sun. The sun was encircled in a splendid 

 ring, very bright, almost dazzling, of a white, silver 

 hue, fading away softly in the darkness of the sky. 

 This inner corona was lengthened by .-m intricate system 

 of streamers, seeming as a whole an irregular star with 

 six or seven points. Two groups of prominences were 



