The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-01-06
SCIENTISTS
TRACE COURSE
OF SUN SHADOW
Past Experience Teaches
Them Pretty Well What
The Sun Will Do
u N u S u Al INCIDENTS

Washington, Jan. 5.-Scientists be-
lieve they have gathered from ex.
perience a good idea Of some of the
unusual things that will take place
in connection with the total eclipse
of the sun Jan. "a.
Prof. George H. Peters of the
naval Observatory, who has been on
intimate terms with Old Sol for 2e
| years, related recently some Of the
developments that may be looked for
| in the Shadow path" with favorable
weather, on the morning of the
eclipse.
! These include fall of few de-
grees in temperature. Animals are
likely to become perplexed, and birds
go to roost. Looking toward the
west, just before the eclipse becomes
total, one may observe the shadow
of the moon coming toward the
observer as if thunderstorm were
imminent.
The sun has just passed it's mini
mum period Of spots, and will pro-
badly have some spots in January
at eclipse time, causing some dis
turbance of the corona, which can
only be seen during total solar
eclipse. The sun is 400 times farth-
err away from the earth than is the
moon.
The ideal spot ITO observe the
eclipse would be far out in North
Atlantic Ocean, for the central line,
passing over Montauk Point, N. Y,
traverses the sea for the rest of
its length, until north of the British
Isles, the total eclipse becomes visible
at sunset.
At sunrise, just east Of Red Lake,
Minnesota, the eclipse will be total.
In the eastern section of the United
States, the eclipse will be visible
early in the forenoon, and in the
far west, not at all, for it will still
be dark there. Over the North
Atlantic Ocean, it will be noon and
afternoon, at eclipse time. The best
position for observations in the
United States will be along the line
from Buffalo to Montauk Point. In
Minnesota, the shadow path" will
be about 85 miles broad, growing
gradually wider to the eastward, un-
til in the region Of the Hudson
River, it becomes ITO miles broad
At Martha's Vineyard and Nam
tucket, Mass, which will not be on
its central line, the Shadow path"
will measure 100 miles across. Until
the eclipse reaches Buffalo, how
ever, the sun will be low on the
horizon.
If at the equator. the moons
shadow, blotting out the suns rays
from the earth, would sweep across
this body at the rate of 1000 miles
an hour. In the eastern part of the
United States, this rate will be
greater, as the shadow will have the
benefit Of the earth's most rapid
rotation in miles, owing to the short
er circumference encountered nearer
the earth's northern axis.
Another phase of the eclipse will
be the possible revival Of the wealth
err insurance feature. Scientific
bodies are put to much expense in
sending out parties, and with I'M
favorable weather, their work goes
for naught.
Scientists will conduct further
tests Of the Einstein theory, and will
also observe the solar corona and
make spectroscopic observations, if
the weather is clear. 1t has been
suggested that efforts be made to
experiment with radio signals to as
certain if they increase markedly
while the eclipse is in progress, and
decrease sharply near it's conclusion.