New-York tribune., 1900-05-06
TO VIEW THE ECLIPSE.
THE NAVAL oBsERvAToRY's PARTIES IN
NORTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA
GIANT CAMERA TO PHOTOGRAPH THE
COMMUNICATIONS IN ASCERTAIN
INl; ITS COMPOSITION.

WASHINGTON Nav 5.-The total eclipse of the
s,,n scheduled for the morning Of May ~, is re
sarded as an astronomical event Of the first i'm
rortanc, ov Uncle Sans experts at the Wash
tnetop Naval O2seryatcr Many weeks have
,,sar srant in preparing fer the phenomenon.
Sky clarts and United States maps have been
carefully studied with the result that the chief
astronomers have decided to equip two eXpe-
di,ions-one for Pinehurst, Moore County. n. c..
and another for Barnesvie, Pike County, Ga.
To the North Carolina station Professor A. n.
skinner viii pilot a corps of twelve astronomers
and a like body VIII accompany Professor Milton
IJn5eerafT into Georgia There are two reasons
why the Washington stargazers have selected
these distant points for viewing the coming
eclipse: First they desire to set up their in
strUments IN the very centre OF the path of
totaity. second. a careful examination of the
weather charts indicated that they were much
more likely TO escape cloudy skies at this sea
son Of the year in Georgia and North Carolina
than in Virginia, along the coast, from which
the phenomenon may also be observed IN the
event Of a clear atmosphere.
Several tons Of special apparatus have already
been shipped to the places selected as head
quarters. and Professor Skinner has gone to
Pnthurst 10 superintend the erection Of one Of
the largest cameras ever constructed. This
giant camera, 10y the way, does not have the
appearance Of d Photographic apparatus at all
Their IS a wooden scaffolding, in form like
pyramid, and forty feet high. Rising from the
ground TO the top Of this at an angle that will
clus- The upper end 10 point directly at the
spot III the heavens where the great luminary
is 10 Dee ecipsed is framework of iron. carry
ing in its interior a gigantic canvas tube In
the upper end OF this tube, which will project
nearly fifty feet into the air, viii be inserted
Inc.
end of the canvas tube viii pass into large
Ight-tight shed, which viii be the box and
plate holder Of the titanic camera In this the
astronomers viii expose the immense plates
which are to receive The image Of the sun
when shut out Of View 10y the moon.
VIII this enormous picture making machine
The Naval Observatory experts viii secure neg
al. from which VIII be printed images of the
san in eclipse ~ inches in diameter. But the
plates "iH also show the mysterious corona OF
hai5 of the sun. which VIII be three times Us
large AS the image Of the sun itself
Professor Skinner and his assistants are more
ir-er.-trd in this curious halo. or atmosphere
Of taa oarth's illumnator than the averaye
I9--t AZ IS in the returns Of the Presidential
election There IS nothing more confusing Of
comreX in connection with the solar system
than the suns corona. During every eclipse of
the last half century the attention of astron-
euers mas been concentrated upon this halo. It
= only within comparatively recent years that
the corona has beer discovered TO be an actual
part u the sun. 1t is surmised that it is a
gas us Vdpor. OF atmosphere, which, from its
peculiar constituents, is visible as a halo about
the mass Of the orb.
The appearance OF the corona, however varies
IN different photographs which are made of il
A. times il takes the form of a halo Of light
around the sun; At other periods it is a general
glow. tut more frequently ii is seen as a long
shaft, extending from opposite sides Photo
graphs taken during the total eclipse of 1873
show that it visible for distance of one
million miles each side of the sun. Owing
10 the Intensely luminous character of the sun
il has been Impossible TO observe this feature
except at times when the disk was hidden by
tie moon
With all the efforts that have been made to
determine the exact character of the constit-
tents of the corona, however. astronomers are
For this reason extraordinary interest attaches
10 the Investigations to be made May 2S
Several classes Of work viii be done by the
Governments experts. The corona and other
appeniases Of the viii be most carefully
Photographed. Photographs viii also be taken
OF the spectra Of the halo well other parts
Of the uH's atmosphere. Other members of the
corps VIII make visual drawings Of the various
features u the eclipse with the aid of powerful
telescopes The Naval Observatory experts ex-
pe't 10 gather new data, which added to what