Evening star., 1932-09-01
|ARMY FLYER SEES
/ SHADOW OF MOON
Capt. Albert W. Stevens
Watches Appoach of Dark
Band From $1,000 Feet.

AWe-lnSprlng DeyonQ oeScrlptlOn was
the onrush of the moons shadow viewed
five miles a,oft in the eclipse zone
Capt. Albert W. Stevens. Army Air
night to the National Geogra phics So
ciety, which sponsored his flight.
Capt. Stevens likened the phenomenon
to celestial hurdle race staged only
for eyes that could view 1t from miles
abcve the clouds"
For 80 miles he and Lieut.. Charles D
McAnister. his pilot. watched the ap-
preaching great dark spot of shadow
moving at a speed greater than that O.
rifle bullet. as it topped cloud bank
after cloud bank. apparently sinking to
earth between the clouds.
The cloud masses which almost ruined
the observations Of many astronomical
expeditions in the New England area
were actually help to the National
Geographic Society expedition. provid-
ing a splendid screen for Capt. Stevens
observations. He made exposures OF
the approaching shadow at 5-minutt
intervals and Is confident that some of
his plates will show the curvature OF
the rushing shadow, q Photographic
feat never before successfully ac-
complished.
Rushed to Washington.
From a. 600 feet above sea level Capt
Stevens said. conditions for observing
the sun itself were ideal. The delicate
colors of the corona and prominences
were visible in their fun glory num-
Der OF photographs were taken. These
together with the moon shadow pic
lures, were rushed by plane to Wash
lngton, and today are being developed
at the societv's laboratory.
The ground unit of the expedition at
North Conway, N. H, tried. with in
different success because of the drifting
clouds, to obtain the first natural color
photographs Of the corona. A battery
of cameras had been set UP on the
2,370-foot summit of Black Cap Noun
tain. Despite the clouds the corona was
visible most Of the time of totality
In charge Of this station were Charles
Martin. chief Of the society's photo
graphic laboratory, Albert H. Bumsteao
and Newman BumStead. These photog-
raphers are hopeful of having obtained
for the FIRST time O photograph in nat
ural colors Of Bailys beads. the effect
Of the sun shining through deep valley:
Of the moon, which come an instant be-
fore totality. Towards the end of the
period of totality an unexpected rec
glow appeared giving an unique effect
In addition, several unusual photograph.
we're obtained of the advancing ane
retreating moon shadow as it progres.
sively darkened surrounding mountain
peaks. The wild. rolling landscape oi
the Black Cap region offered dramatic
setting for this moving band Of darkness
Temperature Dropped.
Temperature observations by the Ma
tional Geographic Society ground party
showed that the thermometer dropped
from II degrees Fahrenheit early in the
period OF totality to 67.7 and after to-
tality rose Immediately to SO degrees.
In describing the appearance of the
corona from the height OF 5 miles
Capt Stevens emphasized the delicacy
of the coloring. To identify points
around the suns disk he adopted in his
report to the National Geographic So
| ciety the device of indicating the posi-
tionS by comparison to those of an hour
hand In its travels around clock face
The corona" he said. had a verJ
marked extension or protuberance, Civ.
Ing a very sharp point at a position
relative to the sun, corresponding to ths
position Of the hour hand at half-past
| 10 on a clock face. At the position cor.
responding to and 5 O'Clock, there
were other protuberances.
AT totality the entire corona hac
| sprung into sight very much as If some
| one had snapped an electric switch Tht
color of the corona was a pale white
The o'clock protuberance had a rost
tint. The long one at 1890 was deli.
cate blush white The maximum ex.
! tention of the longest protuberance wal
about the diameter of the sun away
| from its disk. The balance of the CO.
roma extended about one-quarter of tht
suns diameter. the protuberances at
and S O'Clock being about one-third o.
the suns diameter.
Sees Shadow Advance.
"At the moment of the reappearanc'
| of the suns disk the sun appeared as {
/ point of light. At high altitude ever
/ this pinprick Of light is so dazzling tina
it cannot be viewed by the naked eye
| The corona instantly disappeared. A.
soon as the sun became uncovered ever
slightly the visible surface seemed to b.
more intense In appearance than wher
the sun as a whole Is viewed ordinarily
Before totality the shadow was seer
advancing as a broad grayiSh-purpl
area with softened edges. 1t was def
nitely determined to be the moon Shad
ow when it was about 80 miles away
Owing to the broken character of tn,
cloud formation, the advance of tn
edg" Of the shadow from one cloud banl
| to The next cloud bank was distinctl,
marked
THE most remarkable aspect of tn,
shadow. yisibly, was the appearance
of the far edge. Near the horizon, i
had saffron color. Between the OBJ
server and the horizon the air ap
r cared of an indigo color. The colo
OF the horizon line can best b
described as being that Of steel jus
before it is ready to melt. 1t may ais
be described from five miles in tn
air above a layer of clouds as beinl
half way between an orange and lemon
color or as little lighter than vel
low warning traffic signal.
Under the airplane could be seel
the dark surface Of the earth. TIL
clouds directly underneath the airplan
were platinum colored.
Unusual Phenomenon.
AFTER totality the shadow passed ou
to sea. where there were fewer clouds
and where it was soon lost agains
the dark background of the ocean
This condition was exactly the sam
as the appearance Of the shadow o
the moon observed by me on the cloud
OF Honey Lake, New, about two year
ago, where it also was much more dis
tinct on its approach than when
receded."
Capt. Stevens reported an unusus
phenomenon which appeared is minute
before totality, 1t was formation tina
appeared to be made up of streamer
of light like long columns extending
from the clouds esrthward. He believe
that it was caused by the sharpe
protective power of the sun when it
area was reduced. The effect wa
recorded photographically.
An airplane at 1000 feet. whose OBJ
server reported to Capt. Stevens. foun
another and unusual occurrence in tn
| appearance Of a spot on the ground il
line with the airplane and the reduce
sun. This spot, which is often seel
when the sun is shining normally.
ordinarily a circular glow with dar
| ~ k,s Cd tlA e1lr