The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1871-11-09
SOLAR ECLIPSE.
The Approaching Phenomenon-Prepara
tions of the Scientists.


tions Of the Scientists.
The United States will not participate
with the Governments of Europe in max
ing observations of the total eclipse OF
the sun on the 18th Of December next
The corps of observators at the Naval Oh
servatory would cheerfully have accepted
the invitation of the British astronomers,
but owing to their absence last year in
making observations of the eclipse in
Southern Europe, the work Of the obser.
vators is very much behind, and they
alone could have been despatched un-
der orders of the Navy Department,
our government failing to make
provision for an expedition to Asia. The
corps Of professors who were in Southern
Europe last Decemb ber-Mes Simon
Newcomb, Asaph Hall, William Hark-
ness aud John r. Eastm mln-have, in ad.
dition to their regular duties since their
return, had the additional work of pre-
pairing reports Of the observations made
on the occasion of the last total eclipse.
Besides, if these additional duties had
not been imposed upon them, greater
duty has been assigned two of the prin,
cipal professors, Messrs. Harkness and
Newcomb, now engaged in making ex-
perlments in photography to determine
its value for astronomical purposes, this
being the first preparation for making OBJ
servations of the approaching transit of
Venus in the year 1871. 1t will be visi-
BILE only in Australia and along the coast
of China and Japan, and as it is the in.
tention of the United States to send a
very large scientific expedition to this por-
tion OF the globe for the purpose of max
ing the most extended observations, the
Navy Department desires to take the lead
on that occasion, as it did on the occasion
of the total eclipse of the sun in August,
1869, and December, 1870. Congress,
at its last session, designated Admiral
Sands and Professors Newcomb and Hark-
ness, of the Naval Observatory, and Pro
fessor B. f. Pierce, of the United States
Coast Survey, and Professor Joseph Hen
ry, of the Smithsonian Institute, a board
under whose direction all money appro,
priated to defray the expenses of the pre-,
parations for this expedition, should be
expended. 1t has long been dispute
among scientists whether photography is
Of trustworthy service in making astron
omical observations, but that science may
have the benefit of their tests, the frs
appropriation of $4,000 will be used in
the most careful experiments that can be
made
The report of the observations of the
total eclipse in Southern Europe, last De
cember, made by the Naval Observatory
professors, will be the first published by
any of the corps Of observers sent to the
Mediteranan by the leading nations OF
the earth. The work is now complete in
the hands of the government printer, aud
the first copies are expected to be ready
for distribution on the lst of November
1t will contain an Introductory article
from Admiral b. L. Sands, superintend.
ent of the Observatory Professors simon
Newcomb, Asaph Hall, William Hark.
ness aud John II. Eastman, of the Oh.
servatory, and Captain G.. L. Tupman, OF
the English service. 1t will be a volume
of 13O quarto pages, well illustrated, and
will contain much valuable information
The most important report in the forth.
coming volume will be, as in the one on
the eclipse in 1869, from the pen of Pro
fessor William Park ness. He was station
ed on the Isle of Sicily, and his line OF
observation was nearly the same as follow
ed at Des Moines on August Z, 1862
In this report the advances an Original
opinion concerning the physical construc
ton Of the corona of the sun. He says
that after a thorough discussion Of al
known facts he has come to the conclu
sion that, when seen in clear sky, the
corona is purely solar phenomenon, pro
duced by vast body of incandcscent gas
which surrounds the sun aud is cruptec
from it in the same manner as the rec
prominences. OF this Professor Hark
ness was fully satisfied at the conclusion
of his last observation, and that opinion
has been confirmed by the careful ex
animation of the reports OF the mos
eminent observers who have directed thei
attention to what has so long been known
as the astronomers puzzle.