The Washington herald., 1918-06-09
SUNS ECLIPSE
VISIBLE In D. G.
FOR One HOUR
Naval Observatory Gets Da-
ia in Many Cities
In u. S.


There doesn't seem to be much
connection between the eclipse of
the sun and the German submarine.
But
There is. The data obtained dur
ing the two-hour eclipse of the sun
by the moon last night at the Ma
val Observatory was taken with
view to establishing more perfect
ly the positions of the sun and the
moon In their relation to the earth
As these positions are more clearly
perceived. the science of astronomy
and its effect on the problems of
navigation become more exact.
Navigation is subject to human
frailities. and anything that will
cause a ship to steer a straighter
course. to be able to move freely.
knowing thoroughly her positions
on the seas. will enable her more
readily to dodge a submarine.
Astronomer ]. s. Hammond, in
charge of the party making the OBJ
servations from the great dome of
the Observatory. laughed heartily
at the idea.
I'm afraid that the effect of our
work tonight upon winning the war
is extremely minute. However. we
have had a very good opportunity
to correct our astronomical maps.
As Accurately As Possible.
THE four points OF contact of the
shadow of the moon were taken as
accurately as possible by the several
parties We have sent out in the path
OF the eclipse. The moment the
shadow OF the moon encroaches upon
the very outer rim of the sun, Is
taken. Then there is the moment
when the moon shadow touches the
other side Of the RIM Finally. when
the moon passes entirely beyond the
pale, and recedes into space. This
data compared with those taken at
other points. is expected to rectify
the position of the sun and moon on
the maps"
The men In the party conducting
the observations were ]. S. Hammond.
astronomer in charge, assistants C.
c. wylie and W. A Conrad. of the
Naval Observatory. and Prof. L. G.
Hoxton. of the University of Virginia.
Thousands of people in Washington
suffered blurred eyes. as they at
tempted to view the great shadow
that swept across the country dag
onally from the State of Washington
to Florida.
Visible s:33 to 7,29.
1t was visible from 6.S3 to 7.29 viewed
from Washington and near this city.
Besides the many people. profess
sional and otherwise. who stared at
the heavens in the streets, there were
many moving picture men, who. for
the first time in the history of the
profession, had an opportunity to
photograph such remarkable
phenomena.
Some of the cities and towns that
were in the shadow path to which
parties were sent to make obser-
vations were Baker City, Ore; Po-
catello. Idaho; Denver. Col: Dodge
City. Kan: Guthrie. Okla.: Hamp-
ton and Warren. Ark; Yazoo City
and Jackson. Miss; Monroeville and
Beaverton. Ala: De Funiak
Springs. Cedar Keys and Orlando,
Fla.
Mnny Observations.
Congressman AsweII, of Louisiana,
was an interested member of the
party at the Observatory.
Under the appropriation OF $500
by Congress. the Naval Observatory
undertook observations of the
eclipse and equipped the station.
The site where the most interesting
observations were made were in
Baker City, Ore. Here the eclipse
was total and had the very interest
ing magnetic phenomena of the
corona. a holo of brilliantly color
ed streamers. What effect this
! corona has on radio communication
was studied by the scientists.
"It is my opinion" said Astrono-
mer Hammond. that the phenom-
ena precedes electrical disturbances
| in the North, another Aurora Boz
calls"