Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-21


the full use Of your ewes. So Il is necessary
for the observer to blindfold his eyes for 4
few minutes just before totality in order tC
lose no time recovering the power of seeing
clearly"
The spectroscope is also attached to q
Photographic apparatus, and pictures are
taken of the story which the prisms tell
about the kind light emitted by the sun
and its appendages. The observations 50
far taken BY camera and spectroscope have
gone far toward proving that the corona Is
an atmospheric appendage to the sun in the
form of glowing gas, swinging and whirling
around the planet into space.
THE SUMS SURROUNDINGS.
Prof. Proctor has said: .'Studying the
SUMS surroundings we find his complex at
mosphere to be some 300 or 400 miles deep.
the sierra from {, 900 to 10000 miles deep,
the prominence region about 900 miles
deep, though occasional outbursts to twice
that height have been observed. The inner
corona seems to be some 300, 900 miles, the
outer about 100000 miles in height,
measured from the suns surface. Lastly,
there are coronal streamers which have been
traced to distance of 100000 miles, but
may in reality extend much further, while
the zodiacal, traced in eclipse 10 distance
of 10, 600. 900 miles, and during morning and
evening twilight to nine times that distance,
occupies in reality most probably a region
coextensive with the solar system itself. F"
The sierra of which he speaks is low lying
line OF intense red light visible during an
eclipse, due to incandescent hydrogen. 1t
has lately been observed by astronomers at
ordinary times by the spectroscope. The
red prominences are projections of the
sierra.
Edison, the American electrician, has in
vented a machine to test the heat given
forth from the corona during an eclipse,
and July 29, 1878. be took observations in
the hope of determining its quantity. 1t
was so delicate, however, that the indicator
finger moved out OF the scale.
Tomorrow a number of photographs will
be taken of the eclipse itself as well as of
the spectra of the corona and the red promi-
nences. Measurements and comparisons will
then be taken and some formulation made
of the results.
HARD JOB UNDERTAKEN.
At the National Observatory in WASH
ington the outcome of the expedition is
being watched with intense interest BY all
the astronomers. Said one Of them the
other day to a reporter:
Il nope tnaG tney VIII accomplish some
thing, but am afraid that they have un-
dertaken little too much. 1t is far better
in such an expedition to limit the field Of
work directly to the observation of the un-
known quantities. 1 hope they will make
some notes on the lines thrown in the
spectrum by the red prominences, which ap-
pear dark when the sun is unobscured and
reversed to light just at the instant the sur
face is wholly covered. 1t was planned at
first to take series of photographs of the
spectra of this reversing process, but am
not sure that they will do it. 1t seems that
it was first agreed that the party should go
into the interior of couple of hundred
miles in order to reach high ground in the
field of totality, but i believe that they have
changed this plan, and intend to remain
near the coast. They took instruments from
this institution, from the coast and geodetic
survey, from nearly all the colleges, from
the national museum, and in fact from al
most every source within reach. and am
told that large part of the collection was
left on the wharf at the Brooklyn navy
yard. You must remember that they have
gone all the way to Africa in the hope that
the 22d will be clear day. 1t will be
rather rough if it rains, won't it?''