The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1897-10-05
TO PHOTOGRAPH THE sun.
Professor Campbell of Lick OBJ
servatory to Visit India.

NOteI VC1lpSS OF the sun, ana ETOI. W.
W. Campbell OF the Lick Observatory
viii head the expedition to India, made
possible through the generosity of the
late Col C. F. Croker, to observe it,
says the Chronicle India and eastern
coast Of Africa, north of Madagascar,
will be in the path Of totality. Three
expeditions will leave England and one
from the observatory at Paris may go
out TO observe the eclipse. The Lick
expedition will be the only one leav-
ing the United States.
Professor Campbell will be accom-
panied by his wife and by Miss Row
ena Beans, young lady Of social
prominence in San Jose.
India is preferred as the base OF
operations, the line Of totality-or path
Of the eclipse-passing directly across
the peninsular from east TO west. The
party will leave on the steamer Belgic,
starting from San Francisco October
30th, and carrying two tons of scienti-
fic freight. The same telescope which
was used on the unfortunate expedi
ton to Japan last year will be taken,
LASClACI Will wv VI LII SAAGlACA
ones, all for photographing the SUMS
corona. Besiles these, all the other
instruments used in observing the
eeIipses in Japan and South America
will be transported, and at least five
specroscopes with which TO photo
graph the spectrum OF the different
parts Of the corona will be taken.
This corona is simply the gaseous
surrounding of the sun, which shows
like a beautiful halo of delicate blu
ish-white about the moon during the
total eclipse Contrasting brilliantly
with il are the prominences OF fiery red
which are thrown out from the sun
into long fantastic streamers project
! ing thousands Of miles into space.
The principal problems with which
| Professor Campbell will have to deal
are, first, TO determine the composition
| of the corona-how much is gaseous
and much formed Of the solid particles
supposedly expelled from the sun; and,
second, to study the nature of the So
/ lar prominences, to decide how the
different parts OF the corona are NOV
ing and 10 analyze its light. These
points have never been satisfactorily
solved.
After reaching Hong Kong via Ho-
nOIulu and Yokohama, Professor
| Campbell will connect with the P. & o.
steamers. and then touching success
lively at Singapore, Penang and Colon
I 90 in the Island of Ceylon, will reach
Bombay December 18th. Here the par
/ = VIII land, purchase food supplies
/ and hire servants, and then proceed
/ by rail 200 miles inland to POona,
where camp will be temporarily pitch
/ ed. From this place Professor Camp
| bell will travel first due south TO Ka-
rad and afterward 10 Jeur, which is
| southeast Of Poona. These points,
/ through which the line of tOtality
! passes, are 200 miles apart, and one
/ of the TWO will be chosen as the spot
ID which 10 view the eclipse 10 the
| best advantage, because they are most
easily accessible from the coast by rail
/ and near to the base of food supplies.
Professor Campbell will carefully in
| spect each place with the proper in
/ struments, with view TO the near
ness OF each 10 the line Of crossing,
the elevation, the supply of water-so
necessary to photography as well as
living purposes the other neces-
sary conditions.
Karad viii probably be chosen, and
| after the exact location has been de-
/ cided upon the great 4O-foot telescope
/ viii be set upon a steep hill or placed
against a high building with a solid
foundation. The camp viii be finally
pitched about December 21st, and then
the intervening weeks Of preparation
viii begin.
Karad has a population of about H..
COO, mostly Hindoos and Mohammed-
ans, with here and there an occasional
foreigner. The food OF the expedition
viii be daily shipped from Poona. Or
account OF the snakes which infest thi:
part Of India, the party will be forced
TO sleep in hammocks.
The eclipse lasts 2 minutes and
I seconds, and on these very 2 minute:
Il and 3 seconds hangs the fate Of
months Of anxious preparation and thc
long, expensive trip. The time of tbs
eclipse would be in California just be
fore midnight on January q, 1898, bu
in India it viii take place three-Quar
ters of an hour after noon on the 22d
Professor Campbell expects to carry
with him 100 pounds Of Photographic
plates, which he viii have to develop
in the nighttime, and from which
copies must be made, in case the or.
iginals should be broken in the home
transit, part Of the latter coming By
one line of steamers and the rest By
another
After the eclipse has taken place tbs
entire astronomical paraphernalia vii
be carefully repacked and started OF
the return voyage. Then Professor
i Campbell and party viii take pri-
vate tour through Northern India, re-
turning home by way of Egypt, Italy
France and England, and calling at al
the principal observatories-