508 
NATURE, 
[JuLy 16, 1914 
THE. FORTHCOMING TOTAL GSO EAT 
ECIVPS EH, AUGUSTE, 21. 
WING to the great strides made in the study 
of the physics of the sun, the importance of 
the occurrence of a total eclipse of the sun is not 
so great as it was towards the latter end of last 
century. Nevertheless, there are still some prob- 
lems to be solved, the data for which can only be 
obtained on these occasions, thus necessitating 
the organisation and dispatching of observers to 
several stations lying on the path traced out by 
the cone of the moon’s shadow as it sweeps over 
the earth’s surface. 
The present year presents us 
with a total eclipse as near at 
home as that which occurred in 
“they year? 19065: in fact, these 
eclipses belong to the same 
family, and it is likely that the 
event in August next will be as 
well attended by both amateur 
and profess.onai astronomers as 
was its forerunner. It is hoped, 
however, that weather conditions 
will be more favourable for suc- 
cessful observation, for it will be 
remembered that on the _ last 
occasion the only party that was 
fortunate enough to come home 
with results was that which took 
up a station in Novaya Zembla. 
European observers will be 
especially favoured by the posi- 
tion of the path of the moon’s 
shadow, because the greater 
portion of the accessible track 
cuts Europe diagonally through 
its central position. Thus, with 
comparatively little journeying, 
very favourable stations for ob- 
servation can be reached. 
The accompanying: illustration 
(Fig. 1) shows the general posi- 
tion of the line of central eclipse. 
It will be seen that the eclipse 
begins at a point situated in 
north latitude about 714° and 
ends in a latitude a little greater 
than 234°. The moon’s shadow 
fitstwestm@es, (the: earth) in. far 
north Canada, passing a little 
south of the Parry Islands, and 
pursuing its course just above Baffin’s Bay. There 
it enters Greenland, and sweeps across this 
sparsely-inhabited region and emerges into the 
Arctic Ocean. Taking a south-easterly trend, it 
enters Norway near the island of Vega, and 
passes out of Sweden near Hernésand, and then 
crosses the Gulf of Bothnia and the Baltic Sea. 
The track then enters Russia at Riga, and passes 
near Minsk, Kiev, and the eastern part of the 
Crimea, crossing the Black Sea and reaching the 
opposite coast at Trebizond. It then traverses 
eastern Turkey and western Persia, and terminates 
its course on the north-west coast of India. 
NOG /2 333; <V.Ol.4o3)| 
There is little doubt that the first portion of the 
eclipse track—that is, the part that crosses the 
islands north of Canada and Greenland—will not 
be occupied by special observers. From Norway 
south-eastwards the case will be different, for 
there the sun will be at a useful altitude and the 
eclipse of long duration. On the west coast of 
_ Norway the sun will have an altitude of a little 
over 35°, and the duration about 126 seconds. On 
the east coast of Sweden the altitude will be 
more than 36°5°, and the duration 128 seconds. 
In the region about the Gulf of Riga the sun’s 
altitude will be about 39°5°, and the duration 133 
London 
seconds. By the time the Crimea is reached the 
altitude will be somewhat reduced, namely, 
36° 40’, and the duration diminished to 129 
seconds. An excellent large-scale chart of the 
whole track of the eclipse across Europe accom- 
panies Count de la Baume Pluvinel’s article which 
appeared in the March number of the Bulletin de 
la Société Astronomique de France, and this 
should be consulted by all who wish to take up a 
suitable position on the track. Those who proceed 
to Norwegian stations will find some useful data 
published recently in the Observatory by Prof. 
H. Geelmuyden. There it is stated that among 
