SECRETS OF THE SKY.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 July 1923, Page 4

SECRETS OF THE SKY.

BK.-U/i OK WAl.l.Ai. KXPKDiTTON •SVißsliV, •June -T. j It wiil be remembered that during | tile last Solar Kolip-e the remote spot iin the Western Australian eoasta! j wild-, far up in tlie North-West, I known a- Walla!, was chosen sis the j most favourable place from which to I view the phenomenon. Despite the enormous difficulties of landing the 1 heavy instruments on the barren coast I and their trail-port inland with the aill of awe-stricken blacks and camels, a ! large party of eminent scientists from I l.ick and other world famous astronomical -eat-, took tlieir observations there. The results, however, were not bu lla oniiiig until long alter, and one f the lr.o-t interesting account- has only iu-i been given by Professor Boss, of Berth, who conducted one of the parties. The main problem- which had called for investigation- were: —(1) The j -tractlire ..1 the eoiotin : C_‘) the briglnj ne-.s ol lie- coroiia; I) the general ■ illnniirniiaii during the eclipse; (4) the I phono me eon o! sluuhe.v hands ; o) the j phy-ual and chemical nature ol the | corona : and. mo.-t important of all, tV) j the le-tiiig of fviistein'- theory. The I <:•!; "I'vatinns of all these phenomena j u i, complclid at Wallal m the space j of a few miniile-. but the -tuny of 111? 1 phol "graph- -"cured had. lie -aid. al- ! reedv oecunied some eight months, | 'em! work was not yet altogethei | c mp! tel. Nevertheless, a number ol I imp ilaiii pap"rs iiad already been pul li-li. I in America. Canada. Kng-h-n l, and Au-l rala-ia. and the-e had a- ii! "d in valuable additions to out knowledge of astronomy in particular and of science in general. One el iho phot •graphs obtained at Wallal with the "T eit Hilt telescope and an exposure t f .‘id seconds had been coit--ld"t 'I bv experts to be Ihe iine-i ; pt-ot. graph ever .secured of the sun’s ;c: ro' a. Not onlv del ii show great j cMon-ions of the streamers, but. dim i dcta'l wen in the inner parts was wonderfully clear and sharp. Tim spectm-eopie iichtevt I'neiuw..uhl ah lie have mad.- tile eciip: ■ im. rest hail been rather overshadowed by ,!•• wonderful vindication of Kins'. mu’- theory, starlight passing close to the -nil's -nriace is delle.-ted by I. seconds ol are. On Newton’s f lb . iy of gravitation and of a eorpu:.eulur eat m e of light •; deflection of 11. S 7 -.lends was to be expected. Oil N( w lon's theory ol gravitation and ! , lie modern wave theory of light the i d llc.-t ion would either be ml or again { lI.So '■vcuiids. In if‘ 10 the matter was ! te-tid by two Ifriti-h expedition-, all I j'• bio- of il.Ho, I.!'-. and 1 .til -econilI of are were obtained in three separate ! deieriaiuati: ii-. The best tlelorni'nati n wa- that which gave 1.95. In 1 B S.> i -I - were made at Wallal by t lie (audion and A in, rican parlies. Pro-

1" ■■• or (’hum. u-ing ]*> .-tars, obtain: :l \alue of l. v ; with variations in it dividual lueasurenieiits suggesting tin the true value probably between 1.1 and d.-11. Ti piieism regarding Kiu-tein's col t ributioii to science had practical! vanished with the i-sue of the detail ol tie tests, and some of those wh were inclined to scofi' at the theory i fhe past were now foreiuosl in urgin tbal tlmir own work had pointed in ih same direction.