Evening star., 1951-04-23
Clouds Are No Barrier
To Radio Observutories
New Equipment UtiIizes
Short Waves From the Sun
By Thomas R. Henry

The first solar eclipse observations by
radio astronomy have been reported by
the United States Bureau of Standards.
Eclipse expeditions in the past have
been restricted to the use Of visible light.
Many have been very disappointing be-
cause OF cloudy weather. Very expensive
and difficult expeditions have proved
complete failures because the sky has
been clouded over at the crucial moment.
BY the new method extremely short
radio waves coming from the surface
OF the sun in the same fashion as in
visible light are utilized. They are re-
ceived by specially constructed appa-
ratus. and clouds form no barrier.
The most recent total eclipse Of the
sun last September began in the Arctic
Ocean and proceeded enthusiastically
across Siberia, the Bering Sea and the
Pacific Ocean to point northwest of
Hawaii The only point on American
territory crossed was Attu Island, west
ernmost Of the Aleutians. This was the
only place where an observing station
could be set up. Prospects were dismal
because of the cool, damp climate Ac-
tually the eclipse there was accompanied
by severe rainstorm.
Triumph Over Bad Weather.
With the newly developed apparatus,
however, this made little difference. A
party, organized by DR.. John P. Hagen
of the Office of Naval Research, spent
month on the island installing equip
ment and were able to make measure
mentS of solar radio activity at several
wave lengths.
One of the curious findings was that
Of the apparent size of the sun. With
visible light observations there would
have been an instant when it would
have been entirely blotted out by the
moon. With the radio observations its
apparent diameter exceeded that of the
moon by from three to eleven per cent,
depending on the wave length observed.
This was due to the highly excited state
If the atmosphere for thousands Of miles
from the solar surface. Other findings
till are being analyzed.
One of the worlds most vital raw
materials, sulfur, now is being produced
;ynthetically by countless hordes of in
'isible bacteria.
This method promises to make most
If the world sufficient in this es-
;ential element.
The micro-organiSmS are of the same
families as those responsible for the slow
,usting of metal water pipes after years
underground. In 1949 scientists Of the
British Department of Scientific and
Industrial Research, engaged in the
study of this pipe corrosion problem.
made an expedition to the Libyan desert,
where they investigated some milky
blue lakes which were surrounded at
the edges with broad red bands. Dig
ging beneath the lakes they found yell
ow sand which turned out to be pure
sulfur.
Bacteria Making Sulfur.
These red bands, it was found, were
due to bacteria of the same group as
those involved in pipe corrosion. They
were converting into sulfur various
chemical combinations of the element
which exist in most waters.
Now they are trying to speed up
biological sulfur production to 10 times
parts of the world are being investi-
already have been produced from an
artificially cultured lake in England.
Present prospects, it is reported. are
that a successful commercial process
will be developed which will do away
with all necessity of importing the ma
terial from abroad There is distinct
possibility, it is reported, that sulfur
production by this method eventually
will replace sulfur mining which, in
most parts of the world, is difficult and
expensive.
The element is essential in hundreds
of industrial processes. It also is one
of the necessary elements of the human
body and has an important place in
medicine.