This report describes the solar eclipse flight expedition known as Project APEQS (Airborne Photography of the Eclipse of the Quiet Sun)i' This expedition gave a large group of astronomers an opportunity to observe and record various phenomena during the total eclipse of the Sun on July 20, 196 3, from a stratosphere vantage point over the Northwest Territories of Canada. The expedition was undertaken jointly by the National Geographic Society and the Douglas Aircraft Company, Inc.nThe history of the events leading to the project is briefly sketched. The preparations and modifications of the DC-8 airplane, leased from Delta Airlines, are outlined, and the special installations of astronomical instruments are described and illustrated in detail.nSection 6 is devoted to a discussion of the navigational planning. Section 7 gives an account of the flight operations. These comprise the preparatory tests, a dry run on the day before the eclipse, and the eclipse flight proper, A brief summary of the results achieved is given in the last section, pending a scientific evalua¬tion of the results of the 20 experiments conducted during the eclipse. These scientific results will be the subject of individual reports by the experimenters.
展开▼
