Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-06-19
THE SOLAR ECLIPSE, MAY @.
Return of the Observation Party-The
Corona an Optical Phenomenon.

Corona" an Optical Phenomenon.
San Francisco Dispatch to Baltimore Sun.
The scientific expedition sent out bv the
government in March last to observe the
total eclipse of the sun at Caroline Island.
in the Southern Pacific, has arrived here.
The weather on the day of the eclipse was
perfect for observing purposes, and the
result is a great success, Several good
photographs of the corona and spectrum
were obtained, Professor Hastings of
Johns Hopkins University, gives this
account of the expeditions: "The United
States eclipse expedition. consisting of
Prof. E. S. Holden, chief of party, DIR.
Q. ). Hastings, Mr.. III. II. Rockwell and
Upton, Preston and Brown, of Washing
ton, reached Caroline Island ON April 20.
With the party were two representatives
of the Royal Society of London, who Join
ed them at Aspinwall, and during their
residence on the island four officers and
ten men from the Hartford were with
them. Contrary to expectation five in
habitants, natives of Tahite, were found
on the coral island, and two large and
comfortable houses. One of these houses
was used by the American party, and the
other by the French astronomers who ar
rived two days later than ourselves in the
man-of-war Leclaireur. The two weeks
intervening between the landing and the
day of the eclipse was not too much for the
erection of ObservatOries and instruments
and the adjustment OF the latter. Frequent
rains rendered us apprehensiVe for
the success of the expedition, but fortu-
nately, although on the day of the eclipse
there were number of showers. the cky
was cloudless during the whole duration
of the phenomenon itself, The scientific
results of the expedition are of great
value, Ihe extraordinary length of total
0bscuration was five minutes and twenty
five seconds, which gave an opportunity
for thoroughly testing the questions which
have long waited solution. Thus Prof.
Holden made careful and Systematic
search for the supposed intra-Mercurial
planets with instrumental appliances
much superior to any heretofore
used, with the result that there
is certainly no body as large
as. the sixth magnitude. This will
doubtless be accepted as final by all as
tr0nOmers. Hastings, by a method de-
vised for the purpose, which exhibited
the spectre of the east ana west side of
the moon simultaneously, found that the
corona cannot be solar appendage, hui
is an optical phenomenon, This dispOses
Of many puZzling anomalies, such as the
undisturbed motion of the recent great
comet, which were inseparable from the
generally accepted theory that there is a
solar atmosphere. Besides these mum.
Der of spectroscOpic and meteorological
observations were made. as well az a
careful determination of the force of
gravity by observers sent by the Uni,
ted States coast survey. The English OBJ
servers obtained many photographs of
spectroscOpic phenomena, as well as sat
isfactory photographs of the corona, The
French party, whose outfit was mainly
Tor Photographic work, secured many and
apparently good photographs Of the coro-
ma and surrounding regions. All our ap-
paratus was packed on the 7th and 8tb.
so that the Hartford left on the 9th for
Honolulu. A quick run to the Sandwich
Islands gave the party an opportunity 10
visit the famous volcano before the de-
parture of the Zelandia, the ROYAL Mail
steamer, which brought us to this port