EXPEDITION TO OBSERVE ECLIPSE OFF TO ORIENT

Led by H. T. Stetson, Assistant Professor of Astronomy, an expedition to observe the coming eclipse of the sun on May 9 is already on the high seas bound for the Maylay Peninsula. Accompanying Professor Stetson will be Mr. and Mrs. Weld Arnold of the American Geographical Society, and Mr. and Mrs. Josef Johnson of the California Institute of Technology.

The expedition will confine itself largely to photometric work. It is planned to measure not only the total sky illumination and to determine the light curve throughout the entire eclipse, but also to measure the absolute brightness and the color index of the Corona for comparison with the results of the previous eclipses. In addition to this, the expedition is equipped with a variety of lenses for rapid photography of the outer reaches of the Corona. A special Ultra Violet camera is being taken from the Mt. Wilson Observatory, which has a silvered quartz lense especially designed for the purpose of photographing this phenomenon in invisible light of too high frequency to effect the eye.

According to Professor Stetson, the eclipse this year will be most remarkable on account of the comparatively long duration of totality.