Evening star., 1933-03-12
VISIBILITY LIMITED !
E0R 1884 ECLIPSE
Total Solar Observation Only
on Two Tiny AtoIIs of
Pacific.
BY THOMAS Il. HENRY.

Two tiny coral atolls In the Japa-
nese e-mandated Caroline Islands Of the
Eastern Pacific will be the only spots
6 earth in the path Of totality Of .
coming solar eclipee. observations Of
which are expected to prove Of ex-
ceptional scientific Importance, 1t has
been determined at the Naval Almanac
once here.
The eclipse will take place in the
late Summer Of 1884 and its path
will be entirely over the sea except
for the islands OF Losap and Orlac,
according to the calculations Of Prof
James Robertson, director Of the Al
manac once. who holds what amounts
to the unique position Of the worlds
official eclipse predictor.
Exhaustive search Of maps Of the
Pacific and reports Of mariners show
that no other spot ever has been re-
ported where observing instruments
could be set up. The path of totality
starts over the ocean just north OF
Borneo and sweeps along a sea path
across the Pacific to Peru. 1t reaches
the South American coast, howeve-
lust a moment or two before sunset
so observations there probably would
be worthless.
Short Duration.
Over Losap the period Of totality
will be two minutes and seven seconds.
The other islands Of the Caroline group
will fall well within the zone Of partial
hat SrHn hn "a
purposes Of astronomers. Losap is de-
scribed Is a typical Pacific coral atoll
with an excellent harbor in its center
surrounded by a rim of land covered
with coconut palms The atoll has q
small native population. 1t Is one OF
the group OF islands which includes
Yap dicovered by the Portuguese In
1927 and purchased from Spain by
Germany early in the present century
1t was placed under a Japanese man.
date after the World War
This will be a phenomenal eclipse
such as will not come again for a gen.
Grafton. according to Prof Robertson's
calculation. The shadow of the moon
will pass over the sun when that body
Is surrounded by a mass Of approx
mately 100 stars between the fifth and
ninth degrees Of magnitude. The most
distant OF them will be only two and q
half degrees away from the sun. All
will come clearly into view the momen,
the sun is darkened
Ordinarily there are only q few scat.
tered stars close enough to the sun to
show any effects. The opportunity will
be unexcelled to observe whether there
Is any actual bending Of the path Of
starlight as 1t passes close to the enor.
oftrQrfiya
This Is fundamental in all relativistit
interpretations CT astronomical phe,
nomena, but such minute measure.
ments are required that many observa.
tons are necessary to eliminate pos.
sible errors
Flock to LoSap.
Astronomers. it is expected, will foci
to Losap from large observatcries al
over the world. Whether the Navy viii
send IN expedition has not been de-
, cided. It usually sends observers to al
| major eclipses because they offer tn,
cnly natural checks on the accuracy O
calculated positions. Of the heavenl.
bodies upon which all exact determine.
tons OF time and position depend.
At the request Of the Japanese gov
ernment Prof. Robertson has calcu
lated the path Of the total eclipse O.
1885 will start in Greece and sweey
northeastward over Russia and Siberia
and then over Japan, to disappear II
the Pacific. This eclipse will be t,
Japan what the eclipse Of last Sum
mer was TO New England and will b.
closely comparable in range and dura
ton. Until reassured by Prof. Robert
son, japanese astronomers had fearee
that the path Of totality might JUS
miss the islands. Japan is alread,
making plans to entertain the world:
astronomers at both eclipses.