Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-11-06
PRE-
PAIRING FOR TOTAL
ECLIPSE ON JUNE 8

Denver, Colo, Nov. 4-Astronomers
throughout the country are preparing
for the work of observing the totai
eclipse of the sun, which VIII OCCUR
June S, 1918 and which will be visible
in it's totality along 6O-mlle strip
extending across the United states
from the southwestern corner of the
State Of Washington on the racine
coast to Florida on the Atlantic. AS
tronomers consider themselves unsual-
ly fortunate in their opportunity Tor
observing this eclipse, one of seven
visible in the United States during
the present century. in that the center
line Of this 60-mile strip passes with
in four miles of the observatory ,at
Denver University, where photograph s
! OF the corona Of the sun will be taken
with the aid of the great telescope
which is equipped with twenty-inch
| lens.
! According to Dean Herbert A. Howe.
! head of the Department of Astronomy
at Denver University, this is the first
time that the path of a total eclipse
| has touched an observatory containing
a telescope of this size and astrono-
merS are hopeful of learning more def
f, nitely the composition Of the suns
corona, which appears as great glow
around the sun when the solar body
! is ohscured entirely by the moon.
! 1.-The altitude of the Rocky mountain
region is particularly favorable to OBJ
serHations," said Dean Howe. and as
tronomcrs from On parts of the United
States arc preparing to make observa-
lions in this vicinity. Because of the
moisture in the air on the Pacific
coast. as we'll as in the low altitude
/ there and at points east of Colora-
40. the Rocky mountain region is vir-
tualiy the only place where salts
factory observations can be made"
| Prof. Edwin b. Frost, director of the
! Yerkes observatory of the University
! Of Chicago, already has made arrange
, ments to use the facilities of Denver
University for making his observations
i and now is constructing special appar-
atus to be used in connection with the
telescipic equipment here.
| To guard against unfavorable wealth
err conditions here, another expedition
from the Yekres observatory will be
stationed at Green River. Wye. which
also Is near the center line of the
path Of the eclipse. There will not be
be another total eclipse visible in the
| United States until 1916
! Two hours. fifteen minutes and II IS
seconds will elapse from the time the
moon first intervenes between the sun
and the earth and the sun will be to-
tally bbscured for a period OF $751; sec
onds. 1t is during this brief period
of less than a minute and a half that
the astronomers will do their most
! important work. Photographs will be
! taken of the corona and of the spec
ttm as well as the projections of in
candescent hydrogen extending mil
! lions of miles into space and which ap-
pears as brilliant scarlet flame when
the sun is obscured. The composition
of the corona is a matter of onjecture
among astronomers.
! The corona as we'll as the promin-
ences Dean Howe explained. should he
| visible to the. naked eye to persons
| within the 60-mile belt of totaiitv and
should be seen to advantage with the
rse Of an ordinary field of opera
! glass.
Although the eclipse will he total
only in the narrow belt extending from
Washington to Florida a partial
eclipse will be visible throughout the
county. Teh United States Is virtual
ly the only place the total eclipse will
be visible.
Dean Howe is preparing to take tele.
scoplc photographs of the field around
the sun especially to confirm or dis
prove the existence of a planet. called
Vulcan. said to be travelling in an or
bit so close to the great luminary tina,
it is extremely difficult to see even
during an eclipse