Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-09-08
TO PHOTOGRAPH
SUMS CORONA i.
DURING ECLIPSE

Photographs of that mysterious outer
envelope Of the sun, the corona, to be
made with a horizontal telescope, go
feet long, will be one of the chief
| features attempted by the expedition
sent from Yerkes Observatory by the
University of Chicago to observe the
total eclipse of the sun from Santa
Catalina island, off the port of Los
Angeles, September 10, according to
announcement by Edwin B. Frost,
, director of the observatory, who will
direct the expedition.
| A total eclipse affords the only OPP
! portunity which the inhabitants Of
! this planet have for observing the
corona Is the circle of light seen
| around the sun during total eclipse.
, 1t is not known whether it rotates
| with the sun, as it turns about its
! axis in 25 days. To test this, a sne-
! cial spectograph has been adapted
and will be operated by Prof. Philip
! Fox, director of the Dearborn OBJ
. servatory of Evanston, Ill. TIE tele-
scopic lens used will be the Pinch
Photographic objective belonging to
| the Yerkes Observatory. receiving
! light from a second mirror on the po-
! lar axis, or coelostat.
! So far as is known, Prof. Frost
said no successful and thoroughly
scientific film of the various phases
| of total solar eclipse ever has been
obtained.
At the Camp Wrigley station of the
Yerkes Observatory 1900 feet above
! the sea and about three miles from
! the town of Avalon. the total phase
will last for two minutes and forty
nine seconds, beginning at 1904 p.
M. Pacific standard time, Sept. 10. :.
! 1.-The size and shape of the corona"
! Prof Frost declared. varies from
one eclipse to another. apparently
changing with the eleven-year cycle
of the suns activity. At present the
sun is approaching its state of mini
mum activity, un-spots being now
very rare and small. and the erup-
tions or prominences seen with the
spectroscope at the suns edge are
! few and comparatively low. This
means that they are not often seen
this wear rising to a height of over
40. 900 or so, 900 miles, We shall eXpec,
the corona to extend chiefly in the
east and west directions at this time
perhaps for two or three dlametefs
| of the sun. There are generally IN
teresting streamers issuing from the
poles of the sun, suggesting the au-
rora borealis and implying an
electro magnetic origin.
photographs of the corona on a
large scale will be made by Prof. o
j. Lee. The horizontal telescope te
he used receives the suns rays from
a plane mirror carried on polar
axis which is driven by clockworF
so that it follows the sun. The sun
diameter Is Z inches on photographs
taken with this instrument.
"a part of the light OF the corona
is proved by the spectroscope 10 pe
due to an unknown gas to when tnt
name coronium has been given. Il
has not vet been found on earth OF
in any other star other than the sun
"The region of the sky in whicf
the sun is situated on any partlculai
date is beyond the reach OF astrono'
mers for a period of several weeks
hecause of the brightness of the day
we do not know what has happened
in that part of the sky, or in the I'M
mediate vicinity of the sun. perhaps
some comet has been circulating
near the sun, or out beyond amons
the stars, some new OBJECT OF srea
interest NAV have developed. FOL
the few moments of a total eclipse
the sky becomes dark and we are
able to photograph the region OIL the
sun and that part OF the stay aons
beyond it. This must always De uone
IN the chance of finding something
Interesting mi res that would otherwise b b
lost. Several cameras viii be USE set
for this specific purpose by tht
Yerkes party. In 1882, when tnt
photographs were developed, a SINAI SINAI,
Comet was found near the sun. never
or al after srn .e l sut n t th
o,,a,,nc sly. a faint star flashed on,
i HIe am Increase sss Of forty thousand fold
in its brightness. 1t was as wo itae1f
full spectacle as the eclipse esn pse,r 1tse,.
Star in the northern sky. If such an
outburst should occur in that part o.
the sky beyond the ex sum % 0a p ehoto.
never know of 1t except On ph'
graphs taken at an eclipse. .;or
weather indications at the sta1ioi
- Catalina have been favorable dur
ing the month Of September IN hs IN.
-, .,ar,, promiSing,"