The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-01-20
PERIOD Of
TOTALITY
BRIEF
Scientists Ask Aid of Public
in Making Most of Time
for Observation

Many railroads are planning Il
run special excursion trains t,
points that will be within the :ires
of totality during the eclipse o.
the sun next Saturday. Thou
sands of autoists are planning
trips to the area, too.
The time during which the sur
remains totally eclipsed is very
short; only two minutes at the
center of the shadow path ane
much less than that near the
paths edges. What one wants to
see of the corona, one will have
to see quickly.
Suggestions of Science.
The American Astronomical So
ciety has suggested that factories
and business houses permit their
employees to come late on the morn
ing of the eclipse or else permit
them to be absent for 4 few minutes
to watch it. Most business men IN
the larger cities in the eclipse path
have agreed
1t is proposed, also, to stop all
street traffic, trolley cars and rail.
way trains during the two minutes
OF tOt9lity. Banks and others ex-
pecting to move valuables are adj
vised not to do so during the eclipse,
nor to leave their premises I'M
guarded. 1t will not be black dark
n
but only about as dark as a moon
lit night. The corona around the
sun will give some light.
AS to street lights, it is urged
by the scientific authorities that
these lights should not be turned
on. The same request is made re-
garding automobile lights. If such
lights are turned on, they will daZ-
zle the eyes Of watchers, and will
seriously decrease the splendor of
the spectacle, as well as interior
ing, as likely as not. with import
ant scientific observations.
Airsnip to Aid.
Many such scientific observations
viii be in progress at the labora-
tories and observatories along the
path of. the eclipse. Also, the great
dirigible airship, the Los Angeles,
belonging to the Navy, is to be
stationed a number of miles off
the coast, to supply an additional
observatory. A group of astrono-
mers will be aboard. and it is
hoped that the airship will be able
TO rise above any cloud layer which
may obscure the view from the
ground.
There are also number of in
Vestigations in which thousands of
scientific amateurs are to take
part. At many points along the
path of the eclipse groups of Boy
Scouts, school students. and others
are arranging TO post lines of OBJ
servers who will attempt TO fix the
exact point at which the edge of the
eclipse shadow passes along the
ground.
Effect on Radio.
Another important investigation
which will be going on is that into
the effect of the eclipse on radio.
Radio engineers expect that these
Investigations will supply impOr
tant information about the sup
posed Heayiside layer and about
many other features of radio trans
mission which are still not under
stood.
A few broadcasting stations, care
fully selected because of their loca-
lions with relation to the eclipse
path. will be on the air during the
eclipse with special transmissions.
Instrumental recorders are being
set up in selected locations under
the direction of Greenleaf w. Pick
ard. These win record the exact
variations of the radio transmission
as the eclipse shadow l:asses by.
In addition. large number of
radio listeners all over the United
States have registered with the
Scientific American for a great test
Of fading and swinging during the
eclipse.
Best Viewpoints.
Persons desiring to observe the
eclipse should make plans to see
it to the best advantage. Choose
a place from which the sun can re
seen we'll at o'clock in the morn
ing, such. for example. as the roof
of a building that IS open toward
the east. Go there about u quarter
before nine, so that you will be
ahead of the time Of totality.
WIZ bS "lLilD Tue
path of totally Can still have some
fun and do some good service ny
helping with the radio tess. In
deed. it may happen that the
weather in the path of totally will
be bad. In this case. il is only the
radio work that viii Weld any sci
entific results. The astronomers
may be disappointed. But the radio
fans are sure to get something, re-
CARELESS of how tickle the weather
may prove to be.
First In Century.
For the first time In more than
q hundred years the moon will
pass between the earth and the
sun, throwing its shadow on our
sphere. 1t is the first total eclipse
of the sun visible i'm this section
of the country since 1906.
This eclipse will be total i'm Du-
luth, Buffalo, New York city. New
Haven and many other large cities
in this part of the country. The
partial eclipse will be very Urge