XI. On the total solar eclipse of May 17, 1882

Abstract

The present paper contains an account of the photographic results obtained during the last total solar eclipse. The total number of photographs taken was six: three of these represent the corona itself, while on the three others photographic records of the spectrum of the prominences and the corona were secured. The expedition left England on the 19th of April and arrived at Suez on the evening of May 3, where they were received on behalf of the Khedive by Esmatt Effendi and by the Governor of Suez. The following day was taken up with the journey to Cairo. The members of the expedition were welcomed at the station by Stone Pasha to whose foresight and energy, as well as extensive knowledge of the country, all the members of the expedition were much indebted throughout the time of their sojourn in Egypt. It was chiefly owing to the preparations which General Stone had already made that the expedition was able to leave Cairo on the following evening, arriving at Siout early on the morning of May 6. Owing to the low state of the Nile it was impossible for the expedition to reach the site which had already been chosen for the observatory the same evening, but they arrived there the next morning. The French expedition, sent out by M. Bischoffsheim, was already on the spot, and on them had fallen the burden of choosing the site; for as all the expeditions were to be the guests of the Khedive, a separation would have been inconvenient to our host, and would have had no advantages as the weather was safe within the belt of totality. We cannot help expressing our admiration for the excellent way in which the site of the observatory had been selected; for not only did the result prove that the greatest length of totality had been secured, but local circumstances were well attended to, and the observatory was well protected against the dust, which formed the greatest danger to the success of the expedition.