Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-26
1927 TO EXHIBIT
5ECL|PSE SHOWS
Three of Sun and Two Of
| Moon viii Be Among
[ Heavenly Attractions.

the total eclipse Of the sun on June
%, which will be visible in England,
the first there in two centuries; so
even though conditions for observa-
ing are rather unfavorable, British
astronomers, both amateur and pro
fessional. will make the most OF this
opportunity of a lifetime. The diff
Guilty in England Is that the eclipse
occurs so early in the morning.
The eclipse track, over which the
moons shadow passes, and in which
the total eclipse is seen, passes over
part of Wales, over Liverpool Bay,
and then over England from South
port, on the bay, to Hartlepool. on
the North Sea. From there, the
shadow crosses the North Sea to Nor
way, crosses the northwest border of
Sweden and Finland, and leaves the
northern coast OF Norway to cross the
Arctic Ocean, where it just misses
the northern tip of Novaya Zembla.
Then it reaches land again and
crosses the northeastern corner of
Siberia and leaves the earth for good
just south of the Aleutian Islands.
Will Go to Norway.
With the chances for clear weather
In England rather unfavorable. and
the short duration of the total phase.
astronomers who want to be as sure
of seeing it as possible will probably
go to points in Norway, where the
weather chances are a little better.
the eclipse lasts a little longer and
occurs little later Several good
sized towns in the interior of Norway
have the advantage of being easily ac'
cessible by rail and right in the center
of the eclipse path. The British
Astronomical Association has already
nvroHifinr pf 70 NH
bers to Aal, one of these towns
while astronomers from other Euro
nean countries will locate their in
Struments nearby.
So far only one American astrono-
her has announced his intention OF
observing this eclipse. DIR. Samuel A.
titchell, director of the Leander Nc
ormick Observatory of the Univer-
ty of Virginia. AS the eclipse only
.asts about 20 seconds in Norway;
probably none of the other American
eclipse observers will make any great
effort to observe ii. For DIR. Mitchell S
irpose, however, a short eclipse is as
:.nod as a long one. He has observed
yht eclipses in different parts of the
Irld, chiefly to photograph the flash
ectrum," which appears just before
ID after totality.
ColOred Lines Appear.
When the light from glowing gases
under high pressure passes through a
laver at low pressure, the resulting
ectrum is band of color crossed
dark lines which correspond to the
rs sition of the bright lines of the low
pressure layer This condition takes
place in the sun at ordinary times,
lat when an eclipse occurs there Ia
"a instant Just before the dark disc of
thu moon covers the sun when the
Ihotosphere is hidden, and only the
outer, or reversing, layer can be seen.
The same thing happens when the
) on is leaving the sun, and when the
1T from the reversing layer is
'sed through a spectroscope at such
!; me, series of colored lines appear.
'i!s is the flash" spectrum, and
y Il ords the astronomer the opportu-
~ to study the sun In a way posi-.
b at no other time. AS 1t is only Of
mentary duration with even the
J. gest eclipse. the coming one is just
good as any for this work. and
t is why DIR. Mitchell has decided
observe it.
he two other eclipses of the year
unimportant, because in neither
them will the sun be completely
cured at any place on the earth's
face. But there are two eclipses
the moon which will be of con-
cradle popular, though little scien-
,...c, interest.
Happens June Is.
me of these happens on June Is,
| will be visible throughout the
ted States. Its only disadvantage
hat it will occur in the early morn
A solar eclipse is caused when
Yannnnpc GhoAnxu fol lie ,rfl !,
the earth itself casts a shadow
> space. and sometimes the moon
into il. This is what will happen
June 15, but the darkening of the
on as it enters the earth's shadow
be gradual. If the sun were a
Mt of light. our shadow would be
trply defined, but as the sun pre-.
ITS a circular area of light, there
part. of the earth'S shadow, called
umbra, from which an observer
the moon could not see the sun
all. Around the umbra is larger
4 of the shadow. in which an OBJ.
yer would see part Of the sun OBJ.
red by the earth, just as before a
al solar eclipse we see part of the
obscured by the moon This
ger area is called the penumbra
Vt 1924 Eastern standard time
the morning of June Is the moon
ss | begin to enter the penumbra, but
It until ZAP does 1t begin to enter
umbra, while 1t will not be until
that the total eclipse begins,
an the moon is completely within
inner shadow of the earth. The
pse will last until 3:35, but even
lie lunar eclipse Is total, the moon
still be seen, shining with dull
dish light. This is because of the
his atmosphere.
Light Is Red.
Re see the sun, even after it has
in the evening, because the solar
It is bent around the horizon by
layer of air which surrounds us
A, sun looks red at such a time be
Sc the great length of the path OF
light rays through the atmosphere
ses the blue rays to be partially
orbed. Even when the moon is in
umbra of the earth's shadow
ugh light Is bent by the earth's
losphere to illuminate 1t to some
ent. To do this. however, the light
st pass through twice as much OF
atmosphere as at twilight, 80 the
II reaching the moon and reflected
m it back to the earth, is of a dis
:tly red color.
mother eclipse of the moon will
ur in December. but ii will not bt
ible in the United States. How.
r, people in India and other parts
the Eastern Hemisphere, who
sed the one In June. will see the
in December.
similar to an eclipse Is an occulta
I, when the moon passes in from
a star or planet. Every night, o,
rise, some stars are occulted, bu
phenomenon is more uncommon
stars bright enough to be seer
the unaided eye, and occultation:
planets are quite rare. Two o
urn, however, will occur in 1927