Results of magnetic observations made by the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey at the time of the solar eclipse of January 24, 1925

Abstract

In order to secure additional information regarding the effect of a solar eclipse on the Earth's magnetism, the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey arranged to have special observations made at Ithaca, New York, at the time of the eclipse of January 24, 1925, in accordance with a program recommended by the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, the station selected being near the central line of the belt of totality. The program included eye‐readings of declination and horizontal intensity once a minute for a period of six hours on January 23, 24, and 25, and dip observations once in two minutes during the same periods.Through the courtesy of Professor E.G. Merritt of Cornell University, a building on the University farm at Ithaca was made available for the mounting of the instruments and three of his students volunteered to assist in the observations. These men, Messrs. Larson, Taylor, and Childs, deserve much credit for the faithful performance of the duties assigned to them under the very trying conditions which prevailed. R.R. Bodle, magnetic observer, had charge of the mounting of the instruments and made the preliminary observations. Commander N.H. Heck, chief of the Division of Terrestrial Magnetism, took charge of the magnetic observations of the regular program, while Mr. Bodle devoted his attention to observations of the atmospheric potential‐gradient with instruments supplied by the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism of the Carnegie Institution of Washington.