Evening star., 1932-07-31
ECLIPSE IN CAPITAL
TOBE ES9PER CENT
Navy Department Announces
Plans for Expedition
From Observatory.

The solar eclipse on August 81 will
be 80 per cent complete in Washington,
the Navy Department announced yes
terday, in making public plans for the
expedition from the Naval Observatory
here to go to Maine, where 1t will best
be visible in this country.
The expedition will comprise Capt.
C. j. Keppler, U. S. N; c. B. Watts
senior astronomer; G. M, RaynSford and
G. C. Whitaker, associate astronomers
The naval observation base will be be-
tween Limerick and Lmington, Me-,
and a 65-foot telescope tower and other
structures for apparatus are being con-
structed.
Travels 1000 Miles an Hour.
Total eclipse of the sun will occur
shortly after 2 o'clock Wednesday, Au-
gust 81, when the shadow Of the moon
touches the earth in the Arctic ocean,
north of Northern Siberia. Naval OBJ
servatory officials said that the shadow
will travel at an average speed OF some
1000 miles an hour, moving nortnWaro
and passing within few hundred miles
of the North Pole, thence crossing
southeastward over Melville Island,
Hudson Bay and over the province OF
Quebec. Canada.
In the United States, the great
shadow will pass over Northeastern Yer
mont, across New Hampshire and
Southwestern and Southern Maine.
Shortly after o'clock, the shadow will
leave the earth. Totality will vary from
90 per cent at Boston to Is per cent at
San Francisco, with the National Capt.
tai getting almost a full show.
Laying preparations for the Naval
Observatory's program, Capt j. F.
Hellweg, U. S. N, superintendent OF
the Naval Observatory here, went to
Cape Porpoise, Me-, last month and in
an automobile ran along the projected
line of totality of the eclipse. He
picked the location between Limerick
and Limington, Me-, as the best site.
The Navy Department said that Is
bluejackets will accompany the scien-
tific party from Washington. The
United States Marine Corps has loaned
tentage and other equipment.
Capt. Hellweg, looking to the antici-
pated scientific treat in store, said:
Shadows Speed Impressive.
Those who will have the opportunity
of witnessing the eclipse within the
path of totality will witness a phenom-
enon which they will never forget. The
frightful speed with which the shadow
bears down on you is very impressive
and awe-inspiring, and as the shadow of
the moon gradually blots out the sun,
and just before the eclipse Is total, the
sunlight shining through the valleys of
the moon will be broken up into a
series of spots Of light. These are known
as Baily's beads, because they appear
like string Of beads. At the time you
see the Baily's beads, if you look to the
northwest, you will see the shadow
sweeping across the land at lightning
speed. Immediately following this and
after the sun Is completely blotted out
the beautiful corona will be visible
Those who have seen the corona go into
ecstacies over its appearance, its pc
culiar light effects and end their enthu-
siastic description through lack Of
words to properly describe it,
Capt. Hellweg recalled that the last
eclipse, in october, 1880, to which the
Navy sent an expedition to Niuafou,
Tin Can Island, produced valuable sat-
istactory data. He explained that the
1884 eclipse will be a 'very unusual
one in many ways" as the phenomenon
will pass close to the Equator. The
eclipse will occur on the Island of
Losap, in the Pacific Ocean, 153 degrees
cast longitude and degrees north lati-
tude, which will be about the only
place in the world from which to view
it. A large number of very important
stars will be close to the path of totality
ana may be easily photographed.