TO WATCH SUN’S ECLIPSE

Taranaki Daily News, 7 June 1930, Page 11

TO WATCH SUN’S ECLIPSE

NEW ZEALAND EXPEDITION GOVERNMENT’S FINANCIAL HELP IMPORTANT RESULTS EXPECTED. By Telegraph.—-Press Association. ' Wellington, Last Night. Although the Government announced a few days ago that it would bo unable to finance the New Zealand eclipse of the sun expedition next October, it considered the matter to-day and is prepared now to assist by subsidisation. The . New Zealand Astronomical Society went carefully into the matter of cost and found that the project could be undertaken satisfactorily without the cost .exceeding £5OO. The- Gov- ■ ernment lias decided-to subsidise voluntary contributions ‘toward this • amount on a pound for pound basis up to £2OO beino- £lOO grant direct and £lOO through th ■ New Zealand Institute. This leaves’ £3OO to be subscribed. The society to-day launched an appeal for funds. ' , . Preparations in connection with the New Zealand expedition, which is to be led by the Dominion astronomer, Dr. C. E. Adams, have been going forward steadily for some. time. The island known popularly a”s “Tin Can Island” is about half-way between Samoa and Fiji and lies in the narrow belt of totality which slopes downward from west to east across the Pacific. It is thug most favourably and work of enoimous importance should be possible at the eclipse in October. Negotiations between the New Zealand Astronomical Society and the British eclipse committee resulted in the loan of gome of the finest instruments in the world.. These arrived in Wellington a few months ago. for use by the New Zealand party. The corona-, graph happens to lie the,-historic one used in 1919, when Einstein’s famous “star shift” was first pnt to the test.