THE COMING SOLAR ECLIPSE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 75, 31 March 1910, Page 3

THE COMING SOLAR ECLIPSE.

ARRANGEMENTS FOR OBSERVATION. ENGLISH OBSERVERS. Mr. F. K. M'Clean, of Tunbridge Wells, England, is at present in Sydney on his way to Hobart, Tasmania, to observe the eclipse of the sun, which takes place on 9th May, 1910. Hi& party at present consists of Messrs. J. Worthington, F.R.A.S., A. Young, A.R.S.M. (both of England), Joseph Brooks,'. F.R.A.S.. F.R.G.S., of Sydney, and Messrs. H. Winklemann- and Dowsett, . of Auckland ; bnt others,, it is hoped, says a Sydney paper, will- assist in- the-; .observations in Tasmania. Of the six gentlemen named Messrs. Brooks and Wortbington are already ip Tasmania searching for ihe best sit* for the ■ eclipse observations. The site selected . may be anywhere between Hobart and Port Davey, along the coast, and Mr. M'Clean will charter a steamer on his arrival in Hobart to explore the south--. era coast, and select the best site. From information already obtained it appeals probable that Port Davey will be the bsst site, owing to the very low altitude of the sun, which makes a sea horizon almost necessary, and, more--over, several parties have already arranged to visit Bruni Island, i^s^ against iho select-ion of Port Davey it is remarked that the rainfall on tho wwt coast is much heavier than near Hobart, but Mr. M'Clean will not make definite arrangements until he has personally exanrtned various cites which havo been already chosen for his selection. This will be the fourth eclipse at which Mr. M'Clean has made observations, and ifc is very questionable whether any other amateur astronomer in the world has such an efficient outfit for eclipse work. The instruments to be used, which are packed in 30 cases, have already been .landed in Hobart in good condition, and consist of the following : — 1. A 16-inch Siderostat (which was also used at the eclipse at Flint Island, in January, 1908), which supplies light to: (a), Bft coronagraph, lent by Sir Norman Lockyer, and giving a solar image of nearly one inch ; (b) 10ft focal length, concave- grating, illuminated by a 30ft focus Cooko objecjt-glass through a 2ineh , slit. 2. Twelve-inch. Coelostat which has been lent by the Royal Society of England, giving light for (c) 16ft coronagraph, lent by the Solar Physics Observatory at South Kensington, giving a solar image of about, ljin. in diameter ; (d) transparent grating spectroscope (which was used at Flint Island) of 42in. focus. 3. Equatorial telescope of 48in. focus, with a 6-inch aperture, photographic doublet objectglass, giving a £-inch image.