The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-17
THE ECLIPSE OF THE sun.
Interesting Reports on the Subject Before
the Scientists.

NEW HAVEN. \ 16.-The National Academy
of Sciences spent t of the day hearing re-
ports regarding obs, atoms of the solar eclipse
of May 8, 1883, made upon the Carolina islands
by the expedition sent out by the academy and
the coast survey jointly. According to Prof. E.
S. Holden, of Washburn observatory, Madison,
Wis, the eclipse had the longest tOtality Of any
which has been observed. The four contacts
were observed without any perceptible diff
Guilty, and most excellent results were obtained.
During the total phase there was absolutely no
sol ar heat manifested, the earth being left in
cold as well as darkness. This lasted nearly ten
minutes. There was no wind of account during
the entire visit of the party and the
was notably uniform.
Prof. Holden's own observations were confined
to a search for the planet Vulcan. reported to
exist by Profs. Watson, Swift and Leyerrier, and
were made with a stx-inch telescope, with a
power of forty-four and field of ffty-seven min
utes in declination. He saw every star on the
map which he had previously published. town to
the sixth magnitude inclusive, except the thirty
sixth-magnitude stars nearest TO the sun. One
of the stars of the map was of the sam magni-
tude as Watson's "Vulean," and was a conspicu-
GUS object. No star half as bright as this could
possibly have escaped observation. The Profess
sor is therefore confident that Vulcan did not ex-
ist within the limits swept over. Prof. Holden
also determined the QlrecGlOn OF the motion of
the defrection bands before and after uotality.
While ON the island Prof. Holden and DR.. Hast
ings discovered twenty-three new double stars,
a list OF which is preserved. A complete tOpo-
graphical survey was made of the island for the
first time in its existence, and better than that
of any small coral island in the Pacific. Some
of the ancient burial places and some appar-
emily sacrificial spots were photographed,
Prof. G. 3. Hastings, of Johns Hopkins College,
spectroscopic observation of the eclipse. The
report was chiefly taken up with a consideration
of the question whether or not the sun has an
atmosphere. The Professor considered that the
latest calculations did not warrant the supposi-
ton that there existed any solar atmosphere.
He summed up the arguments pro and con on
the question, ana, although making no positive
statement, argued that the existence Of the
1.200,0 900 miles of solar atmosphere was not con-
sistent with the accepted data of astronomy.
He claimed that If the so-called elected matter
became luminous by precipitation through the
suns atmosphere, then the comets, which in
their per1heion pass through the assigned at
mospheric space of the sun for MANY millions of
miles, should also become ineandescent and
luminous. He made numerous other %rgument
with the same trend, but based on the laws of
the polarization of light. He, however, stated
succlnctly the many gun that might
be brought forward in favor OF the generally
adopted theory concerning a solar atmosphere.
When the young professor began it was eXpect-
ed that the debate on his paper would be a warm
one, but before he had finished the advocates of
the solar atmosphere doctrine concluded that
their views had been fully set forth, and they
took no part in the debate.
Prof. s. Newcombe read a paper on "The use
of the word light in physics" The Professor,
after stating the method which physicists in
this country had adopted of considering light
and heat and chemical agency identical in nature
and name, argued for the adoption OF a new
system, which would obviate the difficulty now
met with i'll estimating the three forces nv de-
grees of light. All the physicists present took
part in the debate which followed, and they all
agreed that.the common practices of estimating
the strength of the three phases of the same
force by degrees of eight" was the best and
only practicable method.