OBSERVATION OF ECLIPSE

Taranaki Daily News, 5 September 1932, Page 7

OBSERVATION OF ECLIPSE

REWARD FOR SCIENTISTS

PHOTOGRAPHS FROM QUEBEC

FINE RECORDS OBTAINED.

MOON’S ORBIT UNCERTAIN

By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright. Quebec, Sept. 2.

Astonishingly successful results rewarded the band of scientists who studied the eclipse of the sun at Octonvale, Quebec, on Wednesday. After working unceasingly for many hours on the combined computations of their totality data it was announced to-day that the results were far beyond expectations. The nucleus of the expedition was composed of members of the Royal Astronomical Society’s Hamilton (Ontario) branch.

For three days the observers glumly faced the prospect of a clouded eclipse. Then the clouds parted ten minutes before the scheduled time, perfect visibility returning. Twelve phenomenally clear plates recording the totality were exhibited by General R. B. March when he stepped from the darkroom where he worked alone at the delicate developing process. His confreres believe that these plates are possibly the only perfect records obtained in North America.

Equally sensational and of possible scientific portent was the chronometric measurement of the totality duration at 90 seconds, 12 seconds less than the McGill University and Ottawa astronomers had predicted for that locality, and 'beginning one second later than the astronomical experts dictated. This, the astronomers intimated, might mean that the motion of the moon has not yet been accounted for. Observation of the corona streamers on the left showed a distinct curvature of its arms, possibly a discovery of importance. The leader of the group, the Reverend Dr. D. B. March, B.Sc., F.R.A.S., who is aged 74, said: “It may be a year before we know absolutely but our quest may lead us into a very complete study. Whether we shall find anything sensational, of course, we cannot but guess at the moment. It is indicated from our blue filter that we may have something perhaps which has not yet been found. It gives a certain different aspect of the yellow corona, slightly different from that which has been secured before. It may he a reflection—who can B ay?—but it may also (be new; ele'ments.”

The eclipse of June 29, 1927, was o*b-' served in England. As anticipated it lasted 23 seconds, but it began three seconds • later than the predicted time. It was pointed out then that this was probably-due to the lack of accurate determination of the orbit of the moon. Since that time observations have /been made all over the world to determine the exact cotirse of the moon.