ECLIPSE OF THE SUN

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 5 November 1930, Page 9

ECLIPSE OF THE SUN

SUCCESSFUL MISSION RETURN OF NEW ZEALAND PARTY (By Telegraph—Press Association) AUCKLAND, 4th November. The New Zealand party which went to Niuafou Island to observe the total eclipse of the sun returned by the Niagara. It consists of Dr. C. E. Adams, Government Astronomer; Dr. W. G. Burns, of Timaru; Mr R. W. de Montalk, of Wellington; Mr F. Gawith, of Eltham; Mr C. B. Michie, of ICaitaia; and Mr P. L. Overton, of North Canterbury. Mr P. W. Glover, the seventh member of the party, proceeded to Samoa to take up his new appointment at Apia Observatory. Accompanying the party on its ' return to New Zealand is Mr Herbert F. Fales, of Pasadena, U.S.A., who was research assistant to the leader of the American expedition, at Niuafou, Professor S. A. Mitchell. He is the guest of the New Zealanders on a brief holiday to the Dominion, and will join Professor Mitchell in Sydney next week. “We were successful in every particular,” said Dr. Adams. “I suppose the predominant feature of the expedition was the phenomenal good luck with the weather. There was just a slight haze while the photographs were being taken, but it did not interfere with the results we obtained. All our plates have now been developed. We did some on the island itself; the others we took to Suva and had them developed since. Professor Mitchell, who- developed the photographs of the spectrum for us, very kindly sent us a wireless message to tell us all the negatives had turned out well.” , ~ii Dr. Adams said that no prints had been, taken from the negatives yet. That would be done in Wellington m a day or two. Over 100 plates had been exposed by the American and New Zealand expeditions together, with cameras ranging in focal length from 3ft to 65ft. The composite results that would be obtained from all those plates should be extremely useful. Dr Adams said that all the members of the' New Zealand expedition would collaborate in preparing a paper dealing with the results achieved. The cost of its publication would possibly bo borne from the fund'raised by Government donation and public subscriptions to send the party to Niuafou. The ex-, nedition had been conducted very economically, he said, and all the members owed a debt of gratitude to Professor Mitchell and the British and American Navies for their generous assistance. Mr Fales stated that Professor Mitchell is proceeding to Sydney, where he will join him on a joint pleasure trip round the world.