SOLAR ECLIPSE

Hokitika Guardian, 15 May 1937, Page 6

SOLAR ECLIPSE

PHENOMENON IN JUNE. LONG TOTALITY PERIOD. GREATEST FOR 1000 YEARS. The total eclipse of the sn that will occur on June 8 will be one of the great eclipses of history. Its duration of totality will be seven minutes four seconds, which is within 26 seconds ol the longest duration that any eclipse can attain. It will be, moreover, the greatest that lias occurred in over 1000 years. Eclipses ran in series in which each successive eclipse is separated from tue preceding and following by an interval of 18 years and 10 or 11 days. A series will usually take about 13 centuries to run its course. The first eclipse of tile series will be a small partial one at the polar extremities, and after a lew centuries have passed the first total eclipse of the series will appear. increasing Duration A long series of total eclipses will follow, each a little longer in duration than the one that occurred 18 years before and a little nearer the equator, where the great eclipses of the series will occur. This will be more than six centuries alter the appearance of the first eclipse of the series, and aftei these:'the duration will diminish in •time as the path becomes further a no. further away from the pole at which it started, and in the opposite hemisphere. Finally, about six centuries alter tinfirst total eclipse occurred, the last one of the series will appear in the neighbourhood of the opposite pole to that at which the series commenced. It will be followed by a number of part’al solm eclipses, decreasing in magnitude, and the series will end with a small partin' eclipse opposite the pole, and the series of 13 centuries duration will have ended.

First of Series in 1360 The great series to which the to La i solar eclipse of June 8, 1937, belong* is now running its course. The first eclipse of the-series appeared at tin South Pole on June 14, 1360, and the first total eclipse in 1703 on January 17. The successive eclipses continued to advance northward toward the equate/ and increase in duration.

The coming eclipse will have a path extending nearly one-third of the dis tance round tho : earth at the oquatoi in the Pacific regions, with a maximum width of 153 miles. It passes over no land except a few coral atolls of the Ellice and Phoenix Groups, and a xinal strip of land in Peru just before sun set.

Besf Observation Locality The only favourable location withii the path on land is Enderbury Island of the Phoenix. group, two and a-liali miles long and one mile wide, where, mid-totality occurs at about 7.45 a.m. with the sun 22 degrees above the horizon, and the duration of totality :i little over four minutes. A more barren and inaccessible spot one could not imagine. The island is uninhabited, h.v scanty vegetation and no water, while | landing is dangerous and anchorage for ships unsafe. Although the path of the eclipse extends over 5000 miles across the Pacific, these coral atolls, scarcely above sea level, constitute the only available dots of land. AViiile the event can he seen from the mainland of Peru about sun set, the sun will he too low in the sky at that time to permit of satisfactory observations. The maximum duration of the eclipse will occur at noon in mid ocean, about 1500 miles from the nearest land. Two Expeditions A total eclipse of such duration is too raie a phenomenon to pass over the earth unobserved and, so. in spite of the inhospitable nature of the site, two expeditions, one from New Zealand unde/ the leadership of Mr jO. 11. Alichie. of Kaitaia, who was a member of tin expedition that observed the eclipse from Niua-fo'ou island in 1930, and the other from the United States, under the leadership of Professor S. A. Alit cliell, director of the Leander AfcCor mick Observatory of the University ol Virginia, who was also with the American party at Niua-fo’ou, will he at Enderbury island in June to observe this eclipse.

DOMINEON EXPEDITION. PREPARATIONS COMPLETED. Iv ALTAI A, May 10. Preparations for the expedition that will leave Auckland on May 18 for the Phoenix Islands in the Pacific to observe the total eclipse of the sun that will take place on Tuesday, June 8, are now practically complete. The party will be under the leadership of Mr C. B. Michie, of Kaitaia. a well-known amateur astronomer, and with him will be Mr I. L. Thomsen, Government' astronomer; Mr M. Geddes, another well-known amateur who had the honour to discover a comet which now bears In's name; Mr F. Gawitli, of Eltham. an astronomer who was with Mr Michie at Niuafoou in 1930; Major Buddie, honorary zoologist of the Auckland War Memorial Museum ; Dr J. Rule, medical superintendent of the Kaitaia Hospital : Mr W. Rose, of Awanui, and Mi- W. F. Berry, of Kaitfci&t

One of Greatest in History Although this eclipse will be one Oi the great eclipses of history in tha. the duration at mid-totality will tk almost the longest that aiiy eclipse can attain, it was at first thought b.\ astronomers that it would not be practicable to make observations owing tc the tact that the path of the eclipse did not touch any land mass excep. Peru at sundown, when the sun would be too low on the horizon for observa tions. The only other lands in the patl of the eclipse are the coral atolls o the Ellice and the Phoenix groups and these uninhabited specks of land rising only a few feet above the sea were not considered as practicable site* for observations. However, Air Alichie, after mailing thorough investigations, tonsil vet that it was possible for a expedition to proceed to Enderbury or Canton Islands in the Phoenix group for the purpose of making these observations and so the opportunity would not be lost to science.

Semi-Officral Basis Proceeding on the basis of a purely private expedition, Mr Midlie made during the past two years the pieliminary arrangements, including Hit loan troin thq Royal Astronomical Society of certain scientific equipment. When the arrangements had !«er. partly completed tlie expedition was put on a semi-official basis by the New Zealand Government and the assistance of the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy was made available to transport the party to the islands selected for the observations and ah° tor their return trip. Water tanks were landed on Canton Island bv a unit of the Navy last year, this being necessary as there is no water supply fhere. Provided n landing can be made, Enderbury Island will be the site for the observations, hut it this is not possible then Canton Island, about 30 miles north, will W used as the base 4>f the ixpeflitithf ,