Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-08-03
SOLAR ANALYSIS.
The Royal Astronomical Society Preparing
TO watch the Great Eclipse.


The HeraLrs Rnropeon edition publishes
the following, dated London, August
1st: Extensive preparations are being
made 10 take observations of the total
eclipse of the sun next December. The
ROYAL Astronomical Society Will play an
important part in this attempt to extract
from old Sol some of his caretully-guarded
secrets.
Mr.. W. II. Wesley, assistant secretary to
the society. said to- Herald correspondent
I'VE intend 10 send out two expeditions
TO observe the eclipse-one 70 South
America and the other 10 West Africa. The
line of totally barely touches South
America along its northeast coast. lying
within the continent. ] think, and only IN
two OF three places.
1T passes across Africa. striking the
west coast near st. Paul de Loanda Qatl-
tude about ten degrees SOUTH and extend
ing 60 Zanzibar, on the east, meeting the
Indian Ocean at about FIVE degrees north
latitude.
The expedition to South America will
probably 90 to Cayenne, in French
Guiana.
TO HAD THE EXPEDITIONS.
"This expedition will be in charge Of the
Rev. s. J. Perry. 7. Il. S.. director Of the
observatory at Stonyhurst College. The
party will be accredited 10 the French au-
thOrities in Guiana. and will doubtless be
given all possible facilities to pursue then
"Who will have charge of the expedition
10 Africa and where viii 1t go to make IT'S
observations 2"
Mr.. Albert Taylor will be in charge OF
it.n replied Mr.. Wesley. Mr.. Iaylor's
party viii doubtless go to Saint Paul de
Loanda and then 20 a hundred miles or
more down the coast or into the interior
from that point. IL ill very likely have
u ship placed at its disposal by the Adml-
raltv. which has for years been very re6dy
10 furnish all possible assistance TO such
expeditions"
TO WATCH TIE CORONA.
"What j. the particular work which
these two parties will have in viewI"
They viii both take photographs OF
the corona with a view IF noting whatever
changes take place Ia IL during the time OF
the eclipse Our chief object in sending
out two expeditions IS TO secure this mucn
desired end.
" If the weather permits observations 70
bee taken at the two extreme land ends OF
the line Of totality il Is believed between
these points the corona Will show some
change. In the observations heretofore
no change has been discovered AZ any one
Joint Of observation while the eclipse
lasted.
LIGHT OF SCIENCE.
When asked about the matter Professor
LOckyer SAIL:
" shall not take observations Of this
eclipse. The Solar Physics Committee.
beinga government affair. could hardly in
yite outsiders 10 take charge of an expedl-
ton and / shall be too much occupied
with other important matters 20 90. So
will my first assistant. The committee Will
not send out an expedition this time"
What are thepoints which astronomers
are most anxious now tOget light upon"
"Our great point J.. this. We want to
find out If the spectrum of the corona cor
responds to that of cool meteorites. il
may be that the prOmlnences which we
fancied were shot from the sun by a sort of
volcanaic action ARE merely falls either
from the outside or from the upper layers
of the suns atmosphere. If this Is the
case. the theory, long ago suggested. OF the
meteoric origin of the sun may be revived
into full belief
1T has already been proved by photo
graphic work by the Solar Physics Com
mittce that the solar spectrum corresponds
exactly with that of meteorites at very
high temperature. This means that bOth
have the same compOnents. Now If the
corona shows the same spectrum az cool
meteortes we shall know a great deal
more than We do now about the compo-
nents Of the suns atmosphere and the
changes that are going on.
SPECTRAL sPEcULAIIoNs.
Information IN this point can best De
obtained by comparing the appearance OF
the spcctri of the manganese, lead and
carbon which are visible in the spectra Of
some stars which are believed Ia be cooler
than the sun. We may be able 10 prove
that the solar atmosphere becomes lumi-
nous from the glowing of meteoric mate
rial.
Another important question to be set
tied is one upon which Professor Young, Of
Princeton, and hold opposite views. He
says that all the lines of the spectrum are
produced by reversing the layer next to
the sun. while claim the contrary, and
hold that absorption does not take place
close 10 the sun. My observations convince
me almost beyond doubt that ! am right.
If absorption occurs close to the sun. as
Professor Young claims. it implies that the
atmosphere is q mere film and that the sun
is very much cooler than / think 1t Is.
- am somewhat of a hereto III solar
matters, and believe that the sun il not
enough 10 break up the chemical elements
as we know them here. The points can
only be determined by making Observa-
tions with the spectrum. l am afraid our
two expeditions will not 60 prepared 90
make such observations, but hope they
will.'