DARKNESS OVER EARTH

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 226, 20 June 1936, Page 9

DARKNESS OVER EARTH

World Scientists Watch Eclipse of Sun

EXPEDITIONS IN RUSSIA

By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright,

(Received June 20, 12.40 a.m.)

London, June 19.

In a chain of stations from the Mediterranean to Japan, scientists and explorers, enipped with giant telescopes, aeroplanes and the latest scientific instruments, watcher the total eclipse of the sun. Reports from Russia describe the spectatcle as magnificent, clouds dispersing at the last minute. Professor Carroll, leader of the British expedition at Omsk, reports excellent results although transparent clouds obscured the view lyThe eclipse lasted 136 seconds. As daylight faded grass leaves lost their colour under a sun looking like a thin sickle. Then the last ray was extinguished, thick darkness and heavy shadows rushing over the earth and enveloping the scientists, whose eyes were glued to the telescopes and instruments. After tense minutes light broke out from the edge of the sun, the shadow and gloom were rapidly dispersed, anil daylight returned. Professor Carroll, broadcasting, said: “Conditions could hardly have been bettered. We hope the photographic plates will show all we expect.” The Harvard University expedition at Akbulak had good conditions. As the shadow crept over the sun the sky became a very deep blue and stars and planets were visible close to the sun.

An earlier message stated that world scientists were on tenterhooks lest a tiny wisp of cloud shatter unprecedented plans to observe the total eclipse of the sun, which 41 expeditions, 13 of which, nre foreign, were observing from 17 different points in Russia from the Black feea to the Pacific. . British scientists were operating from Siberia and Japan, £lO,OOO having been spent on special equipment. An American expedition from Harvard has the world’s largest camera and spectroscope. Soviet astronomers were sending up aeroplanes and balloons and also hoped to take films from the stratosphere. Each group of scientists was concentrating on special observational problems. The preparations were begun in 1934.