For thousands of years, people have been fascinated by solar eclipses, often traveling far distances to see the fleeting phenomenon. By the 1800s, scientists increasingly embarked on more elaborate expeditions to view solar eclipses, taking everything from trains, war ships, camels and even birch bark canoes. Two Library specialists, head of science reference JJ Harbster and historian Joshua Levy, pulled from the Library’s collections numerous diaries and letters written by scientists in expedition groups, trekking across the world to view solar eclipses during the mid-1800s and early 1900s. One item discussed was a tiny pocket diary from 1860, owned by renown astronomer Simon Newcomb, in which he chronicles his 5 week journey through the Canadian wilderness to view a solar eclipse … only to miss it. Here is what the journals reveal about the scientists’ experiences.
For transcript and more information, visit www.loc.gov/item/webcast-11281