TO SNAP THE SUN

Hokitika Guardian, 28 June 1930, Page 2

TO SNAP THE SUN

DOMINION ASTRONOMERS

If New Zealand is to have the honour of photographing and recording the total eclipse of the sun on October 21 ,it will be necessary to raise £3OO This is such a small sum that no doubt it will soon he forthcoming. The New Zealand Institute Inns given £IOO, the Government is givingClOO, and these two sums will make up the £SOO whic h is the minimum on which the expedition can he financed •

Oddly enough this coming eclipse will be visible from only two small islands in the Pacific—the rest of its track passing over nothing hut water. Yiuafou, the island that has been seioeted, ii-; just about halfway between sunrise and sunset and it could hnr T ly h« more* convieniently situated. ' The other island whence the phenomenon can lie seen is a t.inv uninhabited spot

and it was ruled out as the cost of sending the expedition would lev/ been prohibitive. As it is, the Navy : ,s arranging to itnke the scient’fie party to Ninalou. the British Fur Ire F-linso Committee has sent out som° verv fine instruments “to do the jo l '’’ ■”»rl all fhnt is lacking is the snod' sum Wf £390 fo make m> the £S(E wh :, 'h the expedition will cost. n was a "’•"!!* hono'i'- when the committee asked New Zealand to n»rW-*-n'-e tije task, and shows the estimation in which our astronompi’s are hold : n the Old Conntiv. Dr. Adams, tlm Doni’n>on Astronomer, will lead the expedition, and he will have no difficulty in getting together a team that will do the Dominion credit. CORONA AND SUNSPOTS.

Professor P. W. Burbidpe. professor

M'physics at the Auckland University College, and president of the Auckland Astronomical Societv. who is tnk:r\ i keen interest in helping'the expedition, knowing its great, vain to science this morning explained some the object of the expedition. The party would photograph the corona, which was the aura of light surrounding the .sun, and visible, owing to its faintness, only at the time of an eclipse. The corona frequently showed signs of structures, an .though it contained streamers, and was known to vary apparently in connection with sun spots. As, however, it could only be observed at total eclipses the amount of information acquired about it was not very great as •et. Then there would, he other phenomena to observe. For instance,, there was the “flash spc-trum,” the analysis of the light given out by the higher levels of the sun’s atmosphere which were the last to be cut off by the moon Normally that region was not bright enough to show up against the brighter background of the main body of’the sun, and so could only be observed during eclipses.

The professor said the knowledge that could be gained by such an expedition would he welcomed. It was hard |y necessary to emphasise the point that the acquisition of the fullest knowledge of the sun was likely to be of the most direct value, since the wholeeconomy of man depends on the sun's rays; by the sun man lived. Among the instruments that were sent out by the Empire Committee and are now in Wellington, are a coronagraph, which is really a camera tor taking pictures of the corona and the surroundings of the sun, and there are also telescopes fitted with prisms for die analysis of the light. This last-* mentioned is one ot the things that always fascinates the layman, wtio find it difficult to realise that by means of a small piece of triangular glass he scientist can identify the material out of which stars millions s df miles a wav are composed.

PLENTY TO DO

Professor Burbidge mentioned recently that odd as it sounded, the man who really anted to see an eclipse should never go with such an expedition as that which was to rendezvous nt Niuafou. Each person in the party would be thoroughly drilled days ahead in tire particular duties he would have to undertake on the actual day of the eclipse. There were lots of instruments io be attended to, and nothing was left to chances. The routine really amounted to drill, and it was practised so often prior to the day that it would be carried out like clockwork. But for that rigorous training it would be impossible to co-ordinate the efforts of the party and get. the best results.

In addition to the Ni?w Zealand part it is possible that an American naval party from Pago Pago will also he observing the eclipse. Mr A. D. Thomson, director of the Apia Obesrvatorv tuav possibly lie one of Dr Adam’s party, as the eclipse would give lum some geo-physical observations —such, for instance, as whether electrical phenomena change during an eclipse, and matters affecting temperature.

It is probable the party will leave New Zealand towards the end of August or the beginning of September. The Tongan Government lias kindly offer'd to do all it. can to assist the scientists, and it is possible they will sail from Nukualofa for Niuafou. though nothing is known of the details. All that is known is that a man-o’-war will take the party. Tin* sloops Veronica and Laburnum are now in the Pacific making tliir annual round of visits an tin doubt the arty will travel on one of the two.