Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-05-29
THE GLORIOUS CORONA
Described for virginian-PiI ot
Readers by MIR. L. w. Ripley.
Masses of Bushes of Light Shot Ont From
tho Sun-Thc Peculiar Color of the
Landscape Corona and Other Phcno-
mena Photographed by the Observers.

lncnu by Tie observers.
The total solar eclipse. as seen yester-
day in Norfolk, will be recorded in the
history of eclipse observations as being
seen by a larger number of scientific
people than has ever before been gath
cred for the observation OF any astro-
nomical phenomenon whatever. The
conditions here were perfect 1t is diff
ficult to imagine Il more fellci,ous com
bilation OF circumstances under which
10 view This MAGNIFICENT spectacle. The
ITTtC Tc-5I nTIUTTEg- cd by N :
pubic at large, as we'll as by scientific
observers. was evident from the fact
th1t ali roin.s of advantage were occu-
pied by eager throngs of people who
had gathered TO see this stupendous
phenomenon.
~ very large number of observers
came TO Norfolk from various parts OF
me United States for the purpose Of
awaiting themselves of the unusual OPP
poutunity afforded for convenient OBJ
serVat on. The largest single expedition
Was that sent out by the hartford Sci
enIliic Society, of Hartford, Conn, AMI
next N size was the Geosra phicnl So
clety of Washngton. The former eXpe-
citIon was made up quite largely of
people connected with various colleges
and institutions OF learning in Connect
cut, Massa chuSetts and Vicinity OF New
York. y partial list OF the members of
this expedition has been already pub
lishel in the Nirginian Pilot. The party
We're accompanied on the roofs of the
Citizens Bank Building and the Mon
ticello Hotel by large number of in
Ni.ed guests and friends OF the various
members of the party. Among the
guests of the expedition were Prof. E
G.. Pickering, director of Harvard Uni
Versity Observatory, of CanIbri 1Se
Mass; Miss Sarah +. Whiting, prof SIS
GU OF astronomy Wellesley College;
Prof. c. f.. Hastings, who is the we'll
known mathematician of Yale College;
Professor Ilallock, Of Columbia Uni
vcrsity. Mr.. Il. w. Ripley and others.
Nh l.. w. Ripley, of the Hartford
Scientific Society kindly consented TO
dictate his impression OF the eclipse. His
article is rs follows:
For about an hour the only Indication
OF the approaching beauties was slow
ly increasing darkness. The landscape
and atmosphere We're not, however.
nottccably darkened until a. little after
half past eight, AT which time the dark
ness was about that of q few minutes
after sunset. The darkness increased
very gradually.
Ii has been said by observers of for
mcr eclipses that sometimes the dark
ness seemed to deeren iby series of
WavS but in the present case there was
no indication of any irregularlty in the
increasing darkness. The general effect
Of The u ndSca+Aa Sann fl.c,ll iel.l 81
points. was similar to that often noted
In the late afternoon when heavy
thunder shower suddenly moves across
the sky to the vicinity OF the brightly
4 -r.H .l@
noticeably different. being much moro
| yellow. Against the slowly darkeninG
sky the smoke from Norfolk chimneys
was seen to lie very sharply defined and
as the darkness Increased the effect of
the separation OF the bodies OF smoke
from the background was very mark
ed, giving the effect of solid masses OF
| cloud arranged in perspective. As the
moments of totality approached, every
eye was turned toward the southwest.
from which point the cn-rushing shad-
ow OF the moon would come. In the
present instance. while this sudden
darlleninG of that portion OF the sky
was distinctly seen yet the outlines of
the shadow could not be defined. 1t was
rather the effect Of an uprising and
out-stretching darkness. as If there had
been an eruption Of inlfy cloud spread
| ing over perhaps sixty or seventy de-
| Grees OF the southwestern horizon. In
4 M oment the shadow which ran along
/ at the rate Of n thousand miles an hour
was upon us, and the beautiful corona.
looking like Il nearly mass OF light,
burst upon the delighted beholGers
SIZE OF TIE CORONA.
The corona was all that had been ex-
pected by the professional Observers
It's greatest extension was in the d.rec-
ton of the planet Mercury, which was
a little above and to the right of the
sun. In fact. the corona almost reach
ed the beautiful plane, winch il so sell
! dom seen. The corona had the effect Of
being masses of brushes OF light, such
a3 is sometimes seen enanating from
the balls OF I-eyden jar when dis
ollaged in vacuum. 1t remained per-
feCtly constant, both in outline and in
tensty, during the entire period of CO.
tally. and was easily and well seen by
the naked eye. y large field glass,
or even an ordinary opera glass,
brought out to a greater extent the de-
tail of this wonderful attendant Of the
sun. In size ii was about seven dame
ters of the moon IN length, and PERHAPS
one and u half diametsQ-s OF the moon
! in width at it's widest point. The di-
| rection OF the 2reat test extension OF CO.
roma WAS along the ecliptic. and It's
least extension was in the direction at
right angles 20 it.
Continued ON Base =.