Total Solar Eclipse of June 8–9

Abstract

THE fact that the expedition of the National Geographic Society and the U.S. Naval Observatory was accompanied by engineers and announcers of the National Broadcasting Company of America has led to the overlooking of the other expeditions organized to observe the recent total solar eclipse (see NATURE of June 12, p. 993). It is good to report that Mr. C. B. Michie, who led an expedition from New Zealand with the aid of the Royal New Zealand Navy also to Canton Island, shared in the good luck in the form of fine weather that came the way of the American party, and secured good photographs of the corona with several very long streamers. Further, it transpires that the Princeton party to Chembote in Peruand it is hoped the Japanese party there alsohad fine weather for the actual eclipse, though as at Canton Island weather prospects were anything but favourable not long before the eclipse. The value of the results obtained by the various parties (and by the party from Princeton, the Franklin Institute and the Cook Observatory on the S.S. Steelmaker near the point of maximum totality) cannot yet be assessed, but in view of the number of experienced observers concerned, one may con fidently look forward to results of very considerable importance.