Evening star., 1932-08-25
PLANE TO CAPTURE
ECLIPSE PICTURES
Geographic Society Party Of
for Maine to Record
Phenomenon.

In an effort to obtain complete pnoto-
graphic records of the swiftly moving
shadow which the moon casts on the
earth at stated intervals. the National
Geographic Society Eclipse Expedition
is heading for Fryeburg Me, to make
exposures of eclipse phenomena August
81, both from the ground and from an
airplane more than five miles above the
earth.
Through the cooperation OF the
United States Army Air Corps the So
ciety will have the expert services OF
, the distinguished aerial photographer,
Capt. Albert w. Stevens, who has made
some of the most remarkable pictures
ever obtained from the air, and Lieut..
Chas. D. McAllister, Army Air Corps
pilot The plane to be used in this
scientific project will be equipped with
supercharger and oxygen tanks. Capt.
Stevens plans to fly to height of 28,-
900 feet, we'll above the normal zone OF
clouds and haze. At this altitude, with
only extremely rare air between the
camera lens and the sun, and with a
greater wealth of actinic rays, it is
hoped that sharp natural color photo
graphs can be taken. dramatically
showing the lurid tongues of flame of
the prominences and the delicate
streamers of the suns corona.
Achievement to be First.
If the expedition obtains a clear pho
tograph of the great elliptical shadow
cast by the moon on the earth or the
upper surface of clouds, it will be the
first time this aerial Photographic feat
has ever been successfully accomplished
and it will produce record of great
scientific interest to astronomers
throughout the world. The shadow is
elliptical rather than round because of
the angle at which the ShadoW-con
meets the earthS surface The shadow
will be approximately 100 miles across
and will move at the speed of more
than mile a second.
In addition to Capt. Stevens and
Lieut.. Corkille of the Army Air Service.
the expedition will include Albert H.
Bumstead chief photographer of the
National Geographic Society and in
ventor of the sun compass which helped
pilot Admiral Byrd to the Pole: Charles
Martin. chief of the society's photo
graphic laboratory. and J. r. Hide
brand, in charge of the society'S educa-
tional service. Equipment will be set
up on the ground at FrySburg to supple
ment the Photographic activities from
the air. The ground work will be con-
cerned particularly with the making of
color photographs of the direct eclipse
phenomena. Mr.. Martin, in charge OF
these operations, has developed screens
and emulsions that have greatly ad-
vanced the art of rapid color photog-
raphy.
Previous Air Photos.
Capt. Stevens has already made pho
tographS from the air during two total
eclipses of the sun, one about 10 years
Txrf1n h
planes altitude limit was 10000 feet,
and the other two years ago over Honey
Lake, New. The observation planes
ceiling on this latter occasion was
also 10000 feet. Among the world
famous photographs made by Capt
Stevens from the air are a view of
Dayton, Ohio. from an altitude of $4,000
feet Mount Rainier from distance of
266 miles, and the Andes range from
distance of 287 miles. The latter, the
first photograph showing laterally the
curvature of the earth, was made IN
1880 while Capt. Stevens was conduct
ing an air survey of Latin America for
the National Geographic Society.
Another Washington eclipse expedi-
ton at Fryeburg-Will be that of George
town University, led by DR.. McNally
chief astronomer Of the Georgetown
University Observatory. The George
town and National Geographic parties
will cooperate in attacking their pho
tographic and Astronomical problems.
French Scientists Here.
En- route to louisville, Quebec, to
study the eclipse, a group of French
scientists, headed by Prof. Henri
Chretien. were in Washington today.
M Chretien is professor of optics and
head of the department of eclipses at
the Sorbonrfe Observatory.
Other members of the party are
Jules Baillaud, representing the Paris
Observatory; Jean Bosler, Marseille
Observatory; Mrs. D. I. Roberts, Nine.
Chretien, Mile Yvonne Chretien and
Mile. Marie Bosler. All of the scien-
fists are members Of the International
Astronomical Society, under whose
auspices the trip is being made.