The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-03
OBSERVERS OF ECLIPSES
Expeditions on Their Way TO the
Island of Sumatra.
Scientists Arranging To Take Photo
graphs of an Important Astronom-
fcnI Eycnt-Points at which They
Will Conduct Their Operations.

! Astronomical savants of the earth, al
ways interested In anything that occurs
In the heavens above us or ahaut US. are
as much interested in the next and al
ready predicted eclipse of the sun as i'm
any preceding event in the observation
OF the great golden orb OF day. The main
| point Of observation will be somewhere in
the happy Island of sumatra. An expc-
ditton from this country has already
started for the purpose OF reaching desi-
raDle coigns of vantage. 1t is in charge OF
Prof. Aaron n. Skinner. of the Ue1ited
States Naval Observatory Accompauyine,
him are Prof. William s. Eichelberger and
Messrs. Frank b. Litteil. George III. Pc
tiers, Walter W. Dinwiddie. and Lewis 4.
Jewell
Members of the party connected with
other institutions are Prof. F. E. Barn
ard, of the Yerkes Observatory; DIR. s. A.
Mitchell. of the Columbia University.
New York city; Mr.. Norman T. Gilbert.
of the Johns Hopkins University, and DIR.
William J. Humphreys and Mr. H. d.
Curtis. OF the University of Virginia
Going with the expedition, but under
the auspices t,f the Smithsonian Institu-
ton, are Messrs. Charles G.. Abbot, of
the Smithsonian Institution, and Paul
The main party will probably be at So
lok. village Of about $500 inhabitants in
the Padang highlands. lying few miles
east OF the Barisian range of mountains.
Solok, which IS regarded as an import
ant point OF observation. is about thirty
one miles from the central line of the
pain or totelity. and the duration of to-
taifty VIII be about minutes 81 seconds
Soiok Is about ]. 800 feet above sea level
AT this station Prof. Barnard vii! ;,roba-
bly, be located with the Photographic lens
OF siXty-one feet focus used by the
ferkes Observatory party at Wadesboro
last May.
This lens will give an image of the sun
nearly seven inches in diameter. and with
II II is hoped to secure large-sca{e pho
toSraphs OF the corona upon plates thirty
by forty inches. and one photograph will
be attempted upon plate forty by forty
inches If the weather should permit
Prof. Barnard will also use two smaller
Photographic lenses and will also utilize
the opportunity to take photographs of
the southern Milky Way with the small
er lenses during clear nights before the
eclipse
rhe Lick Observatory sends an expedi-
ton to Sumatra in charge of Mr.. Charles
II. Perrine. With him will go Mr. Ralph
Curtis, of the University of California.
For assistants they will depend upon
E1ropeans who may be found IL Suma-
ira. They expect to be located near Pa
dang, although this is not certain as yet.
They Will use a set of four photographic
lenses of three inches aperture and elev-
en- feet focus, similar to the Smithsonian
They will also use the forty-foot photo
Photograph lens which has been used upon
many previous eclipses by Lick Observa-
tory expeditions They will also two
small Photographic lenses and OF
about five feet.
The Lick Observatory expedition will go
via Yokohama and Hongkong.
The Boston chronological Institute will
also send expedition to Sumatra under
OF has md
Hosmer will go with him. They will use
n ten-foot Photographic telescope aud viii
also make magnetic observations at the
time of the eclipse. but they will also do
some geodetic work during their stay in
Sumatra
The Dutch Government will send out an
expedition consisting in part of Profess
sors Nyland and Witerdink who were in
Ga, at the time of the eclipse
last May. They will occupy station
near Painan. near the central line.
The English will probably send out enc
or more parties. and there will probably
be French party, but no details are
two small islands near the
sout beast coast of Africa belonging to
the French and English Governments.
and then passes across the Indian Ocean.
crossing some small islands off the west
coast of Sumatra. then across Sumatra.
Borneo, the Ceiebes, and New Guinea.
and some small islands Of the East In
dian archipelago Sumatra is the most
favored location. as the sun is near the
zenith and the duration of totally at
he centre line is 8 minutes and q sec
Dnds. Besides. the country Of the west
coast and the interior highlands have
been settled for many years by the
Dutch, and the temperature is compare
lively mild in the highlands.
Many persons are ever at a loss to i'm
CINE why SO much interest is felt in
clipses of the sun. What problems they
ask. are astronomers attempting to solve.
rhis one problem is answered by the
act that the problems whose solutions
ire attempted at the time of total So
ar eclipse are the constitution of the
un and its surroundings.