scholarly journals Solar eclipse of May 28, 1900. Preliminary report of the expedition to the south limit of totality to obtain photographs of the flash spectrum in high solar latitudes

1901 ◽  
Vol 67 (435-441) ◽  
pp. 370-385 ◽  

This expedition was one of those organised by the Joint Permanent Eclipse Committee of the Royal Society and the Royal Astronomical Society, funds being provided from a grant made by the Government Grant Committee. The following were the principal objects which I had in view in arranging the expedition:— To obtain a long series of photographs of the chromosphere and flash spectrum, including regions of the sun’s surface in mid-latitudes, and near one of the poles.

The expedition to which this report refers was one of those organised by the Joint Permanent Eclipse Committee of the Royal Society and the Royal Astronomical Society; it was supported by a grant made by the Government Grant Committee. Guelma was chosen for the site of the observations, as being an inland station between Sfax, which was selected for an expedition from the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, and Philippeville, which it was at first expected Sir Norman Lockyer would occupy. Guelma is 58 kilometres from Bona, 65 kilometres from Philippeville, 55 kilometres from the nearest coast of the Mediterranean Sea; it lies at a height of about 1200 feet above sea-level on the south side of the Valley of the Seybouze, amongst hills which range in height from about 3100 feet at 13 kilometres to the north, to about 4700 feet at 11 kilometres on the south, where lies the celebrated mountain, Mahouna, “the sleeping lady,” so called from the resemblance of its silhouette to the form of a woman. (For the position of the observing hut, see p. 59.)


1894 ◽  
Vol 54 (326-330) ◽  
pp. 28-30

The Joint Committee have requested me to make the following brief report on the observations of the Eclipse. This will be followed shortly by a more complete report. The Joint Committee was formed early in 1892, a grant of money was obtained from the Government Grant Fund of the Royal Society, and preparations were at once begun. After due consideration, it was decided to send out two observing expeditions, one to Fundium, on the Salum River, in Senegambia, and one to Pará-Curu, in the Province of Ceará, in the northern part of Brazil. With the exception of the work undertaken by Professor Thorpe, the whole of the observations were photographic. Three classes of work were undertaken at each station.


1902 ◽  
Vol 69 (451-458) ◽  
pp. 209-234

This expedition was one of those organised by the Joint Permanent Eclipse Committee of the Royal Society and Royal Astronomical Society, funds being provided from a grant made by the Government Grant Committee. It was originally contemplated that the party should consist of Professor H. H. Turner and myself, and that we should occupy a station inland in Sumatra; but when the former found himself unable join in the expedition, it was decided not to appoint another observer in his stead, nor to fix upon the station to be occupied until there was an opportunity of learning about local conditions, on the spot.


1899 ◽  
Vol 64 (402-411) ◽  
pp. 1-21

1. This expedition was organised by the Joint Permanent Eclipse Committee of the Royal Society and Royal Astronomical Society, funds being provided from a grant made the Government Grant Committe. The Government of India made excellent arrangements for the party, and the Surveyor-General of India with the staff of his Department rendered great service in selecting a site, clearing the jungle, establishing a camp, erecting the instruments, and in giving every assistance in the observations, for all of which the observers desire to tender their thanks.


1899 ◽  
Vol 64 (402-411) ◽  
pp. 43-61 ◽  

This expedition was one of those organised by the Joint Per­manent Eclipse Committee of the Royal Society and Royal Astro­nomical Society, funds being provided from a grant made by the Government Grant Committee. The observers are indebted to the Great Indian Peninsular Rail­way Company for the carriage of the instruments at reduced rates between Bombay and Pulgaon, and for a considerable reduction of fares to the observers for this journey.


1. General Arrangements . The expedition to observe the total solar eclipse of 1911, April 28, was organised by the Joint Permanent Eclipse Committee, the expenses being defrayed by the Government Grant Fund. Of the few islands in the South Pacific crossed by the track of the moon’s shadow during totality, Vavau, one of the northernmost group of the Tonga or Friendly Islands, was the most suitable for observing the eclipse, the duration of totality being computed at 217 seconds, and there being a reasonable prospect of good weather. The programme of observations consisted of photographs of the corona on a large and relatively small scale for coronal detail and extension of the streamers, and photographs of the spectrum of the corona and of the lower chromosphere. For these purposes the expedition was furnished with a 4-inch photographic lens of 20 feet focal length, kindly lent by the Council of the Royal Irish Academy, and the 4-inch Dallmeyer “Abney” lens of 34 inches focal length. For the spectrum of the corona Prof. Newall kindly lent the quartz spectroscope of four prisms, presented to the Cambridge Observatory by Major Hills, in order further to investigate the ultra-violet spectrum. The fourth instrument was made up of a large 7-inch prism of 40° in combination with a 6-inch Dallmeyer portrait lens of 30 inches focal length, This objective prismatic camera gave a short but very bright spectrum, 4⋅5 cm. from H α to H ζ . The intention was to investigate the red end of the coronal spectrum on dyed plates, and incidentally to photograph the flash spectrum. The members of the expedition were Father Cortie and Mr. W. McKeon, from the Stonyhurst College Observatory, and Father E. Pigot, Director of the Observatory of St. Ignatius’ College, Rivervievv, Sydney, N. S. W., who also acted as agent for the expedition in Sydney, in the preparation of huts to cover the instruments, and in the gathering of materials for building the piers for the foundations. The Admiralty gave instructions that H. M. S. “Encounter” should convey the observers and the instruments from Sydney to Vavau and back, and that every assistance should be rendered to the expedition in the erection of the instruments and in the observations. The expedition is greatly indebted to Captain Colomb, and to the officers and men of the “Encounter,” for their enthusiastic co-operation in the work of the expedition.


In the preliminary report of an expedition to the south limit of totality, in Algeria, I described in detail the methods adopted and the instruments employed in obtaining photographs of the “flash” spectrum in high solar latitudes. The present paper deals with the results obtained from a detailed study and measurement of four of the best negatives of the series of sixteen which were secured with the principal instrument, a reflecting prismatic camera.


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