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The British eclipse expedition to Christmas Island

 

Eclipse date:
 21 September 1922
Primary purpose:
 To confirm the results of the 1919 eclipse expedition
Success or failure:
 Failure – because of cloud cover during totality
Staff in attendance:
 Harold Spencer Jones (Chief Assistant, Royal Observatory)
Philibert Melotte (Junior Assistant (Higher Grade), Royal Observatory)
Telescope taken:
 The Greenwich 13-inch Astrographic on a modified mount
Expedition duration:
 1922, Jan 20: Equipment (except OG) dispatched to Liverpool
1922, Jan 28: Observers & OG travel to Liverpool
1922, Jan 28: S.S. Mentor departs Liverpool
1922, Feb 26: S.S.Mentor arrives Singapore
1922, Mar 9: S.S. Islander departs Singapore
1922, Mar 23: S.S. Islander docks at Christmas Island
1922, Sep 21: Date of the eclipse
1922. Dec 4: Equipment returned to Greenwich
Account of the Expedition:
 The British expedition to Christmas Island, H Spencer Jones Science Progress in the Twentieth Century (1919-1933), Vol. 17, No. 68 (Apr 1923), pp. 588-597. Article includes 2 photos: (1) The observing house from the north, (2) Flying Fish Cove
Reports to the Visitors:
 1. Read at the Read at the Annual Visitation of the Royal Observatory, 1922 June 3
2. Read at the Annual Visitation of the Royal Observatory, 1923 June 2
Other published images:
 The Times, 21 September 1922 (the telescope in its enclosure on Christmas Island. The same image (slightly cropped) was used for the stamp shown below)

Greenwich Astrographic, Christmas Island

The Astrographic Telescope on Christmas Island. One of 16 stamps of famous visitors to Christmas Island issued in four tranches (of four) between 30 April 1977 & 1 September 1978. The highest value stamp in the series, it was issued as part of the second tranche on 22 February 1978. Designed by V. Whiteley Studios and printed by Harrison & Sons Ltd., London

Harold Spencer Jones

Harold Spencer Jones, Chief Assistant at Greenwich (1913–1923), H.M. Astronomer at the Cape of Good Hope (1923–1933) and Astronomer Royal (1933–1955). From an article announcing his appointment as Astronomer Royal, but probably taken while he was Chief Assistant