THE TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE OF MAY 6TH. 739 



race have any difficulties in the way prevented zealous men of science from at- 

 tempting to fathom the mysteries that enshroud our celestial neighbors. 



Two French expeditions are being equipped, one to observe the eclipse at 

 Caroline Island and the other at Flint Island. The British nation will not allow 

 their neighbors across the channel to outdo them in scientific research, and will, 

 doubtless, send an observing party to Caroline Island. The Americans are now 

 strongly agitating the question of sending some of the best astronomers to the 

 «ame fortunate island, and there is little doubt that the means will be forthcom- 

 ing. Amateur astronomers are debating the question of joining the expedition, 

 and the prospect is that when the 6th of May dawns a colony of scientists, from 

 many quarters of the globe, will be assembled in this lone land of the Pacific to 

 find out what secrets they can discover while the face of his majesty, the Sun, is 

 veiled from mortal view. 



The eclipse of May next is especially favorable for observation on account of 

 the long duration of totality, which will amount in some localities to nearly six 

 minutes. The longest time that a total solar eclipse can last is not quite seven min- 

 utes. The eclipse observed last year in Egypt lasted only seventy-two seconds, 

 and it is a rare event for an eclipse to last nearly six minutes, as will be the case 

 with the coming eclipse. Caroline Island is situated in 73° 20' W. longitude 

 from Washington, and 9° 40' S. latitude. The duration of totality there will be 

 five minutes and twenty seconds. Flint Island is situated in 73° 40' W. Longi- 

 tude from Washington, and in 11° 30' S. latitude. The duration of totality there 

 will be .five minutes and thirty-three seconds. 



The approaching eclipse is therefore a very important one, on account of 

 the unusually long continuance of the total phase ; for the law is, the longer the 

 totality the more favorable are the conditions for observation. Astronomers will 

 do their best to increase their stock of knowledge on three important points, two 

 of which are connected with the surroundings of the Sun, never revealed except 

 on the rare occasions of a total solar eclipse. They hope in the first place to add 

 something to what has already been learned during previous eclipses concerning 

 the corona, especially in regard to the immense appendages which branch out 

 from the corona in all directions ; to find out whether they are dependencies of the 

 coronal atmosphere, or whether they are swarms of meteors circulating around 

 the Sun. In the second place, they will make a study of the zodiacal light and 

 its relation to the Sun's surroundings In the third place, they will carefully 

 search for the small intra-Mercurial planets that probably circulate in the imme- 

 diate neighborhood of the Sun, and which can only be seen when making a 

 transit over his disk or during a total solar eclipse. The spectroscopist, the pho- 

 tographer, and the observers with the naked eye will do their allotted parts in 

 the difficult and delicate work. The tropical locality of the places of observation 

 is favorable for clear weather on the momentous occasion, and there is reason to 

 hope that discoveries will be made and observations confirmed that will render 

 illustrious the astronomical annals of 1883. — Providence Journal. 



