11. Commission des Phénomènes Chromosphériques

Au cours des trois années 1932,1933 et 1934, les relevés et statistiques habituels des flocculi, des protubérances et de l’épaisseur de la chromosphère, ont été poursuivis et publiés régulièrement. Ils se répartissent de la manière suivante:</jats:p

II. Commission des Phénomènes Chromosphériques

La Commission vient de subir une lourde perte en la personne de George Ellery Hale, Directeur honoraire de l’Observatoire du Mont Wilson, décédé le 21 février 1938, à l’âge de 70 ans.L’enregistrement des phénomènes chromosphériques qui sert de base aux relevés et statistiques publiés régulièrement par divers observatoires, a été poursuivi sans changements notables depuis le dernier congrès. Le tableau reproduit dans Trans. I.A.U. 5, 59, 1935 et dans lequel sont groupés les renseignements relatifs à ces travaux d’observation courante, est donc toujours valable.</jats:p

13. Commission des Éclipses Solaires

(i) 1936, June 19. The Eclipse Committees of Japan and the U.S.S.R. have been making preliminary meteorological studies of the weather conditions along the belt of totality in their respective countries. The Japanese Committee report (Bulldin, Kwasan Observatory, 283, 1934) that, while at the extreme east and west of their totality zone the weather prospects are unfavourable, for the central part, along the north-east coast of the island of Hokkaido, from Esasi to Monpetu and in a region round Syari the weather conditions are as good as in the best seasons of Tokyo and Kyoto in an ordinary year. A pamphlet giving all information is being prepared and will shortly be circulated in astronomical circles, but it may be mentioned that Monpetu and Syari are accessible by rail from the port of Otaru. There is electric current, 100 V, A.c., labour is readily available and accommodation will be possible for small parties.</jats:p

16. Commission Pour les Observations Physiques des Planétes, des Cométes et des Satellites

The following works embodying researches coming within the scope of this Commission have been published since the last meeting of the Union:1. “Recherches sur la polarisation de la lumière des planètes et de quelques substances terrestres,” by B. Lyot, Annales de l’Observatoire de Paris, Section de Meudon, 3, Fase. i. Characteristic curves are found representing the fraction of light polarized in the case of the Moon and several of the planets for the angles Sun-Moon or planet-Earth and compared with curves obtained in the laboratory for light reflected by a number of terrestrial substances. Some of the conclusions arrived at are referred to in the notes below.2. La Planète Mars 1656-1929, by E. M. Antoniadi. This is based mainly on the author’s own telescopic observations with the 0.83 m. Meudon refractor in 1909 and the following years, and contains the author’s conclusions therefrom. The work of numerous earlier and contemporary observers is also summarized and compared with the Meudon observations.3. The Moon, by W. Goodacre. Contains a description of the lunar surface formations, numerous drawings, charts and photographs, and the author’s revised Map of the Moon in 25 sections.4. “Ricerche Polarigrafiche sui Pianeti. La Polarizzazione sul Disco di Giove,” by M. Maggini, Mem. della Soc. Astron. Italiana, 4.5. La Constitution des Comètes, by F. Baldet. Paris, Hermann et Cie. 1930.6. “ Halley’s Comet in its Apparition of 1909-1911,” by Nicholas T. Bobrovnikoff, Pub. of the Lick Observatory, 17, pt 11, 1931.7. “Absorptionsspektren und Atmosphären der grossen Planeten,” by R. Wildt, Nach, von der Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, Math.-Phys. Klasse, 1932.</jats:p

22. Commission des étoiles Filantes, de la Lumière Zodiacale et des Problèmes Analogues

The Commission formed a Sub-Commission on Zodiacal Light, presided over by Prof. Issei Yamamoto. The constitution of a sub-commission on the light of the night sky and kindred phenomena was proposed, but left in abeyance, pending the Stockholm Meeting. Dr Jean Dufay kindly consented to write, at the president’s request, a paper on the present state of the problem of the light of the night sky, which is printed with this Report.</jats:p

13. Commission des Éclipses de Soleil

Since the date of the 1935 Paris meeting two total eclipses have been successfully observed. Throughout the long path crossing Siberia and Japan the weather on June 19, 1936 on the whole about lived up to predictions. On account of widely scattered clouds neighbouring expeditions had quite different luck with the weather. In contrast, the June 8, 1937 eclipse was seen throughout the whole track under universally clear skies, which is all the more surprising for the reason that eclipse expeditions to the tropics usually fare badly with the weather. Stewart and Stokley in a ship at sea were able to observe the eclipse with a measured duration of 7 min. 6 sec., the longest period of totality in 1200 years.</jats:p