June 1, 1896.] 



KNOWLEDGE. 



131 



THE APPROACHING TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE 



SUN. 



By A. Fowler, F.E.A.S. 



TOTAL eclipses of the sun have attracted great 

 attention in all times, and are justly regarded as 

 among the most impressive of natural phenomena. 

 Bo much has been written in description of them 

 that there are probably few readers who are not 

 familiar with the general features of an eclipse, although, 

 in the words of the late Mr. Hind, " no description could 

 give an idea of its awful grandeur." The vast extension 

 of pearly luminosity, surrounding the almost inky blackness 

 of the moon, is certainly quite unique, and can be likened 

 to nothing else. 



On the 9th of August there will be a total eclipse, which 

 will, fortunately, be visible from places comparatively near 

 home, and a large number of British astronomers will take 

 advantage of the splendid facilities offered for making the 

 necessary journey. A few particulars as to the way in 



Flff. 1,— Track of Moon's Shadow, August 9tli, 1S96. 



which the eclipse will be utilized by the various observers 

 may, therefore, be of interest at the present time. 



The line of central eclipse will pass through the North 

 of Norway, Nova Zembla, Siberia, and Japan, as shown in 

 Fig. 1, for which we are indebted to the editor of the 

 Journal of the British Astronomical Association.- In Norway 

 the most favourable station appears to be ^'ad£o, on the 

 Varanger Fjord, and it is here that the greatest number of 

 observers will await immersion in the moon's shadow. At 

 this point the duration of totality will be about one hundred 

 seconds, with the sun fifteen degrees above the horizon. 

 Astronomically, Japan will furnish the best observing 

 stations, but it is not sufficiently accessible to meet the 

 requirements of many observers. Here totality will last 

 more than two and ;i half minutes, and the sun will be 

 much higher than in Norway. 



Eight stations along the line of totality, indicated by 

 the numbers in Fig. 1, will probably be occupied by 

 various parties of observers. 



(1.) Near Bodo there is certain to be a considerable 

 gathering, although the conditions are not favourable to 

 serious work. 



(2.) Enontekis, Finland, has been selected by one of 

 the expeditions of the Russian Astronomical Society, and 

 by Prof. Glasenapp and L. G. Vuchikhovsky. 



(3.) In the neighbourhood of Vadso there will bo one 

 of the Government expeditions, including Dr. Common, 

 Prof. Lockyer, and the writer ; a large section of the 



British Astronomical Association, headed by Dr. Downing 

 and Mr. Maunder ; Dr. Copeland, the Astronomer Royal 

 for Scotland ; Sir Robert Ball ; Mr. Evershed ; M. Antoniadi, 

 from M. Flammarion's observatory ; and many others. 



(4.) Nova Zembla has been chosen by the Russian 

 Academy of Sciences and the Kazan Society of Naturalists. 



(5.) At the mouth of the Obi there will be another 

 section of the Russian Astronomical Society. 



(G.) Olekminsk, on the Lena, will be occupied by the 

 chief expedition of the Russian Astronomical Society, and 

 by Prof. Yoznesensky of the Irkutsk Meteorological 

 Observatory. 



(7.) A station on the Lower Amur has been selected 

 by an expedition from the Pulkowa Observatory. 



(8.) In the Island of Yezo, Japan, there wOl be a 

 British Government expedition, consisting of the Astro- 

 nomer Royal, Prof. Turner, and Captain HOls, R.E.; a 

 French expedition under M. Deslandres ; a party from the 

 Lick Observatory, under Prof. Schaeberle ; and another 

 American expedition directed by Prof. Todd. 



The duration of a total eclipse is so very brief that the 

 utmost use must be made of every moment. Good 

 organization is accordingly the keynote of success, and to 

 this end a considerable amount of preliminary inquiry 

 and discussion is essential. The arrangements for the 

 Government expeditions have been made by a joint 

 committee of the Royal and Royal Astronomical Societies, 

 which has met at intervals during the last three years. 

 The principal objects to be undertaken are to secure per- 

 manent and unbiased photographic records of the corona, 

 and of the spectra of the various parts of the solar 

 surroundings. Such records are considered the first duty 

 of an organized eclipse expedition, but if instruments and 

 observers be available the programme may be extended 

 to include special pieces of research. 



At the Japanese station the Astronomer Royal will 

 employ the Thompson photoheliograph of the Royal 



* See Journal B.A.i . p. LiKS. 



Fig. 2. — Prof. Lockver's Six-iiuh rrismatio Camora. 



Observatory, giving an image of the sun nearly four 

 inches in diameter. It is not expected that the filmy 

 outlying parts of the corona will bo bright enough to 

 impress their images on this large scale ; but the very 

 beautiful pictures obtained by Schaeberle in ISO:? en- 

 courage us to hope that the finer structure of the inner 

 corona will be depicted with almost telescopic minuteness. 



