The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-03-07
: total ECLIPSE IN MAY. -
The. Government viii Have .observa-
w. tories in South Carolina.

Thc. Government viii Have .Observa
.,-, tories in South Carolina.
New York Tribune.
The naval observatory has asked
Congress for an appropriation OF 81. 600
for the purpose OF studying and observ-
| ing the total solar eclipse Of May 2S
next, phenomenon OF special interest
to America, as it is the first one that
will be visible generally id this COun-
/ try since 1878, the only exception
| being the eclipse Of 1899, visible from
| the west coast OF California up into
Manitoba The eclipse next spring is
visible in q narrow line or belt cXtond-
ing from Norfolk, Va, in u generally
southwesterly direction through Texas
and Mexico. The duration Of totality
at Norfolk is about minute and Il
half and the time dimiuishes until
New Orleans, whore it is only about
minute and twelve seconds.
Preparations for observing this
eclipse were begun three years ago by
INC weather bureau, which gathered
extensive data concerning the cloudi-
ness and general conditions Of the
weather on May Is in the regions over
which the eclipse will be total. Their
results, recently published, show that
the best positions for observing the
eclipse, where there will nG the
greatest probability o; clear weather.
are in South Carolina, Northern
Georgia and Alabama. But in order
to secure d certeinty, stations will be
occupied all along the line OF totality.
At the coming eclipse the Observa-
tory will utilize instruments of great
value for the study Of this peculiar
phenomenon. First, the observation
OF the precise time at which the CON
facts OF the moon take place, i'll order
to tiX precisely its position II the
heavens relatively to the sun, 81 ch
can be done with unusual accu .cy
only at the time Of solar eclipse. | Q !
second purpose will be to study W ii
Photographic Instruments and
spectrosCope the structurGand com
position OF the SUMS surroundings. |
This latter field is the one which pos |
sesses such absorbing popular interest, |
and the 10 foot phOtogra lenses OF |
the observatory will give large photo.
which will show the finest de. |
tail OF the corona. Smaller iLstru-
ments, however, with lenses OF the !
finest workmanship, will be used to !
photograph the widest extensions Of |
the corona. Stations will have to be |
chosen some time in advance OF the .
eclipse, and the telescopes mounted
AtIN Gu .GSlSu " Jc ia ICUGIHCSS LOT inc
important moment.
The task OF mounting the telescopes
forty feet long so as to point at a de-
iinite region OF the sky at the precise
moment OF time, and that the moment
At which the sun will be in position to
send its rays through the long canvas
tube which will cut out the stray light
Jf the atmosphere, Is no light task,
aud yet it has been successfully &C
on several expeditions by
The eclipse parties OF the Lick observa.
tory The observatory has in time
past sent out eclipse parties to distant
parts Of the world, the last extensive
expedition icing in 1883, to the Caro-
line Islands, in the South Pacific, OF
which the present astronomical dircc-
tor OF the observatory, Prof. s }.
Brown was member. This eclipse
whose duration WAS unusually long,
was visible at only two small dots Of
and in the Pacific ocean the rest OF
It's entire track passing over the watcry
waste. Previous to that in 1878, several
government parties occupied positions
on the long line Of totality extending
from Iowa TO the Pacific coast,
in the high rocky mountains
where the atmosphere was light and .
transparent.
Although the proposed appropria-
tion OF $1,000 seems ludicrousy made
luatc and is much less than those !
given in former times, the convenience .
and accessibility Of the stations and .
the fact That the observatory already .
possesses many valuable instruments /
explain why such relatively small .
amount will be productive OF much .
good, provided the expedition Is sue
cessfu.