IX. On the total solar eclipse of August 29, 1886

Abstract

An expedition for observing the Eclipse of the Sun of August, 1886, was organised and sent out by the Royal Society, the necessary funds being obtained partly by a special vote from the Treasury, partly from the annual grant to the Royal Society, and partly from the Society’s private funds. A Committee appointed by the Council of the Royal Society discussed the principal questions to which observers were to direct their attention, and distributed the available instruments amongst them. It was also decided that, as far as the scientific part of the work was concerned, the observers should be independent of each other, and report separately to the Society; but that they should elect one of their members as chief, to represent them in all dealings with the authorities in the West Indies. Mr. Norman Lockyer was accordingly chosen to be this representative. The present report only deals with the photographic results obtained by its authors. Mr. Norman Lockyer was the only other observer who took out photographic instruments; most unfortunately, the weather proved so bad at the station he selected that he was unable to see anything of the eclipse.