Australian solar eclipse expeditions: the voyage to Cape York in 1871
Article
Article Title | Australian solar eclipse expeditions: the voyage to Cape York in 1871 |
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ERA Journal ID | 30599 |
Article Category | Article |
Authors | |
Author | Lomb, Nick |
Journal Title | Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage |
Journal Citation | 19 (1), pp. 79-95 |
Number of Pages | 17 |
Year | 2016 |
Place of Publication | Thailand |
ISSN | 1440-2807 |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.3724/SP.J.1440-2807.2016.01.06 |
Web Address (URL) | https://www.sciengine.com/JAHH/doi/10.3724/SP.J.1440-2807.2016.01.06 |
Abstract | Techniques such as photography and spectroscopy only became available to study solar eclipses in the 1860s. The first subsequent total eclipse of the Sun to be visible from Australia was one in December 1871 that was visible from far north Queensland. Initiated by the Royal Society of Victoria, astronomers in Melbourne and Sydney cooperated to organise the Australian Eclipse Expedition aboard the steamship Governor Blackall to a suitable observing location. Though on the day of the eclipse clouds prevented viewing, this was an important expedition that was complex to organise and involved dealings with colonial Governments and with relatively large sums of money that Australian scientists had not previously experienced. With a newspaper reporter as part of the expedition along with two photographers the expedition was well recorded and provides a clear insight into the activities of late nineteenth century astronomers and other scientists. |
Keywords | nineteenth century eclipse expeditions; 1871 total solar eclipse; Eclipse Island; Royal Society of Victoria;Governor Blackall; Melbourne Observatory; Sydney Observatory |
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 519999. Other physical sciences not elsewhere classified |
430302. Australian history | |
Public Notes | Open Access. |
Byline Affiliations | School of Agricultural, Computational and Environmental Sciences |
Institution of Origin | University of Southern Queensland |
https://research.usq.edu.au/item/q371x/australian-solar-eclipse-expeditions-the-voyage-to-cape-york-in-1871
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