SOLAR ECLIPSE.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20024, 4 September 1930, Page 13

SOLAR ECLIPSE.

EXPEDITION TO NIUAFOU •ISLAND., INTERVIEW WITH DR. BURNS. ' (SPECIAL TO THE F8E83.) • TIMAETJ, September. 3. Dr., Wm, C. Burns, a member of the New Zealand ■ Astronomical, Society, -of iTimaru,. has; been,appointed'medical officer of the 1 New -Zealand expedition Niuafou Island, to observe the solar eclipse on. October 23rd; Interviewed; by 'a. representative, of Thb . Pbbss,., Dr. Burns said that 'his primary interest in the expedition would •be the; health; of-the "-members. He.'did not feel in • a position -to comment'on . the scientific aims of the party, Although the Go vernm ent ■ had announced in June last that it would be unable.* to finance the,-' expedition - it had reconsidered the matter and had finally ' decided vtor grant'-assistance. "The New Zealand'Astronomical'rSoci'ety h-d' gone •.carefully into tire;cost• and foiind that the project could-be undertaken siLtisfactorily. without exceeding £SOO. The Governmenthad ; decided-to subsi&ißa voluntary: contributions' towards this amount on a £ for. £. basis. - The ; NewZealand Astronomical Society , had launched a successful' appeal -to. raise that amount, Timara,in company; with the larger townis, had done its swe'im this direction. * ' v Dr». C. E. Adams, DominionV/tAstronomer, would be in'charge of ihe'jexrpedition. .'"Niuafou Island, ''whictf.liea approximately halfway '.between Bnva and Apia, .was selected as- the locale'of > ■the expedition as it Ib,one of theilajrd > masses in the path of the] total ,eclipse. It'was more", frequently'' known as :"Tin ;Can v Island/' owing,-to tits J rocky,\pre-* cipitouscoast, and frojn,~the ■of mail' steamers sealing mail■ -in tin* andv allowing it to. float„ ashore. !Zher« - .was a white trader living oh 1 the island, ,and Tongan- natives. - ■' . Dr. Burns said that it was soA&bw .-that a.hut wouldrbe,placed at the*disposal; of- the ' expedition, -.but, ifS each . were 'not the case tents would, bemused. T As •» Niuafou- Island • Iky "in the - belt of totality ,which sloreil- dpwn- , ward - from west *to • Pacific, > it ;was' most'- favourably situated.. - Meteorological -records taken ,during,.October, 1928, -hnd showed, that there", was a> veiyr??fair chance of clear skies on the eclipse. Negotiations betwefcii, thaJTew "* Zealand; Astronomical %>(liety*and/rthe -British Empire resulted in the v load 'of • the„. finest instruments in the worl<L Oiieof the instruments whi'ch--.would be, Used ..was an historic lone used- at ,Sobral in i "1919, when 7 Einstein's ■ i/'fitajr ! shift" ~faas ■ first r put -to thetake the .party , three.-weeks to assemble the instruments-for theeclipse, which would' last. second^'/The ■ •absolute-precision needed in" securing ;• the various records would -• be-achfdved •by team iwork, .-the- mombers *of ->'"the party.practieing together*till .perfection was The seconds to •valuable; that .there must'not-be the remotest possibility.*: of error. 1 : Dtj tAdams ' - \ would v allot the of each member t of-the'party. ' . > , ■ Dr. Burns expressedpleasure^-'jthkt the expedition hatd not tbeeri abandoned and: said it - had 'been felt- 1 strongly;that "having: obtained the instruments 'from England * there- moral" obligation on the- part of the Dominion' to- carry the-expedition New,"Z&l&nd„ > had been definitely charged-. with/thia duty; by the British Committee. In referring to" the scientific 'value of the expedition Dr. ;Burns remarked that the discovery of helium gas,-which • is now used in balloons and dirigibles, had been due to a study of 'the r sun during a solar eclipse.