Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-11-22

ple universe, perhaps, than the C0rOnal
streamers which / have already describ-
ed as appearing around the sun when it
is totally eelipsed. OF course these
strange phenomena are there oil the
time, but owing to che effect OF the glare
OF the sunlight III the earth's atmos-
phere they are invisible to us except
during the very few minutes that the
blazing face of the sun remains hidden
by the Opaque body OF the moon. They
were first generally recognized as be.
longing to the sun In 1868, and since
then on every possible occasion aBtron-
omers have spared no pains or expense
to study them; going with cumbersome
loads OF instruments to every part of the
world for that purpose. On this occa
sion astronomical photography will be
applied with perhaps better hope Of
success than before. Not only will the
corona be photographed as o whole so as
TO retain accurate representations of its
actual form for comparison with future
eollpses, but many careful photographs
will be made OF the spectrum of the
corona. You, of course, understand
that the purpose OF this is to arrive at
the knowledge of the composition of the
corona what it consiats Of. There lis
o mystery about the composition of
these banners of the suD that has never
been solved. Some have regarded them
as consisting of gaseous matters, SUR
rounding the sun and being, perhaps
the product OF ejsction from it. Others
have thought that they might be vast
saarms OF meteoYs erowdIng thick abon.
The sun and shining in ITS light, or
perhsps something that might be likened
to colurssl dust clouds surrounding that
tremendous solar eiRlf Q 10 whose up-
ceRsina ACTIVITY we owe The light and
heat and vivifio forces that make the earth
hsbltable. II Is hoped that good deal
OF light will be thrown upon this quea-
tion by the observations OF tho coming
eclipse. Then again the observers or
| this occasion will have the advantage ol
making their observations in remark
ably clear atmosphere, for there ls nc
clearer air In the world than that ol
California, where the eclipse observers
will go, and in addition they will plac,
their instruments at high altitude
some 1900 feet above the sea. thus get
ting above much ef "the smoke and sti
OF this dim spot'-the earth. The grea
advantage OF o high attitude from whicl
Il to make observations bas been lon,
recognized and has been emphasizes
within the past year by the maryelou
achievements of tie fteR. Lick teleacop,
mounted on II e sr Ill, II Munrt Ham
ilton in California. by the way, il i
, most unfortunate, that the line Of total
, ity runs between one and two hundre,
miles north Of Mount Hamilton, and o
lie would be imprsoticable td move o
, large on instrument, il will be impos
sible for the astronomers to see this In
teresting eclipse with the mos
powerful instrument in the world. Bu
!, the Lick observatory will send smalle
) instruments with observers to view til
total ple--SS of the eclipse, while th
z giant telescope will only have partit
i, eclipse to exercise its powers upol
q Upon the whole feel sure that we shs
9 have some very interesting news in al
!. Economical circles after this eclipse
r over.