SOLAR ECLIPSE

Taranaki Daily News, 15 August 1930, Page 3

SOLAR ECLIPSE

EXPEDITION IN PACIFIC.

NEW ZEALAND PERSONNEL.

Preparations for the part which Ne# Zealand hopes to play in the investigations of the solar eclipse next October are being taken actively in hand by the Dominion astronomer, Dr. C. E. Adams, and Mr. P. W. Glover, both of whom aro experimenting at the Kelburn observatory with the instruments to be used. When the Government first found itself unable to finance the expedition to Niaufou, and later promised a pound for pound subsidy up to. £2OO, the New Zealand Astronomical Society set qufc to gather the remaining £3OO which it though necessary, for the expedition. This was done by means of a public appeal, and £2OO is already, definitely available. Six ,weeks remain now before the expedition hopes to leave, and in that time the additional £lOO mW, if possible, be raised. . . The personnel of the expedition, assuming that the whole of the money will eventually be found, has not ydt been definitely decided upon, although Dr. Adams and to Mr. Glover will cer*. tainly be of the party. The first subscript! >n list to the appeal fund was issued by Dr. Adams on Monday. Of subscriptions already received by the treasurer 1 of the society, totalling £159, the Wellington share is £6O. Other amounts are as follows:—Christchurch, £l3; Dunedin, £l4; Auckland, £39; remainder of New Zealand, £33. .in addition another £3O has been received at Dunedin, £l2 at New Plymouth, and £5 at Hawera.

Dr. Adams lias been in touch with the American expedition which is going to Niaufou v under the control of the United States Navy Department, and with Mr. C. S. Ramsay, a trader resident on the island. The American expedition is to be led by Commander C. H. J. Keppler, of the United States Navy. With him will be Lieutenant H. C. Kellers, medical officer in charge of the health of the party, and a number of scientists. Chief among these ifl Professor S. A. Mitchell, of the Leander McCormick Observatory, University of Virginia, who is probably the leading authority on solar eclipses in the world. With his assistant, Mr. Kempton Adams, he will be in charge of the spectrographic work. ' _ Professor R. W. Marriott, with Dr, Weld Arnold, will conduct the coronal photography and make observations for the Einstein effect. He will use a 63ft camera. Mr. J. J. Johnson will bo photometric observer, and Mr. B. P. Sharpless. will also work on coronal photography. It is probable that Dr. T. A.. J.agger.s will accompany the expedition to, undertake seismic and volcanic. work,. There, will'.also be a cinematograph photographer. • The New Zealand expedition will,, it is' hoped, leave Auckland by the Niagara on September 23, and.’ arrive at Suva three days later. The party will be taken from Suva to Niaufou by H.M.S. Laburnum, and will reach the island at the beginning of October, . The means of transport back to New Zealand at the end" of October has not yet been settled. The American and New Zealand expeditions will be the only ones on the island.

Niaufou lies only a few miles from the centre of the belt of totality of th© eclipse, which will slope downward from west to east across the Pacific and about half-way between Fiji . and Samoa. -