This late 1960s documentary recaps the 1966 solar eclipse expedition off the coast of Brazil and Argentina by members of the Atomic Energy Commission and scientists of the University of California’s Los Alamos, Sandia, Lawrence Livermore, and the Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratory. The mission also featured a new innovative hydraulic tracking system used on several of the telescopes. The film opens with telescope footage of the Sun, including the solar corona, and photographs of the solar corona during a solar eclipse. Graphics are used to show the elements of the coronal spectrum—scattered illumination of dust and bright emission lines of highly charged atoms of iron (01:23). Graphics are then used to show the molecular development of charged iron atoms at various stages of atomization. Viewers see two people standing in front the sign and building for the Los Alamos, NM Scientific Laboratory of the University of California (03:42). NC-135 aircraft sit on an air strip, which are used for conducting research during solar eclipses. Two scientists in the Los Alamos laboratory work on the “Rube Goldberg” telescope used for measuring corona light (04:59). An illumination graph registers light intensity. The film uses illustrations to show the construction of a telescope used to measure emission lines of the solar corona. Viewers see a graph showing the recording of corona light intensity (07:28). The two men connect wires to the telescope’s photoelectric interferometer (08:05), which records the shape of the corona’s emission lines. A chart shows the graphing of emission lines by the photoelectric interferometer. An illustration shows the layout design of the telescope (09:38). Another scientist works on a coronal camera, as he checks the shutter speed on a monitor (10:15). Viewers then see the emission line camera and its different lenses used to capture specific element emission lines. The film shows a shot of the camera with its fiber-optic bundles and photo trackers (12:20). Next, viewers see a graphic of the layout of the NC-135, showing where the solar research equipment is stored, including: Command & Timing Station; Data Recorder; D’Arcy Detectors; Emission Line Camera; Gamma Telescope; Rube Goldberg Telescope; Douglas Detector; Neutron Detectors; and Magnetometer. Two scientists work on a corona camera, operating the manual stabilizing system (13:30). There is a shot of scientists climbing into an NC-135 (14:32). Air Force 369 takes off from New Mexico on 3 November 1966 and flies to Buenos Aires. Viewers see inside the NC-135 where scientists sit at the instruments used to record the solar eclipse. On 5 November, members of the team walk away from the plane in Buenos Aires. At Rio Grande, Brazil (16:45), other scientists of the mission arrive and prepare to observe the solar eclipse by launching Nike Tomahawk rockets. A scientist looks at an instrument package with eight crystal spectrometers, which is to be placed in one of the rockets and launched up to a high altitude. A Volkswagen Beetle tows a Nike Tomahawk rocket to the launch pad (17:21). Airborne personnel walk at the airport in Buenos Aires (17:55), then footage shows the takeoff of an NC-135 during a practice run. Men review their planned elliptical holding pattern onboard the aircraft. An NC-135 flies in the air. Three Argentine scientists sit aboard the plane as well. On 12 November, members of the expedition walk to their plane, Air Force 371, which then taxis prior to takeoff. There is a shot of the cockpit (21:00), as the captain and co-captain talk. Scientists ready their equipment for recording the three minutes of the solar eclipse. The Scientific Commander monitors the mission from the plane (22:10). Footage shows the beginning of the eclipse. A scientist begins to track the eclipse with one of the cameras. Viewers see the solar eclipse with Venus illuminated nearby (24:14). The men communicate their tracking status onboard one of the planes. Crew members relax and smile for the camera (26:28). Back on the ground, men haul the films off the plane. At Los Alamos, the film shows a scientist examining the developed film from the emission line camera (27:14). Viewers also see photographs from the coronal camera. Men put magnetic tape into a computer that was recorded by the Rune Goldberg telescope, and they watch the graph being printed from the tape. An NC-135 flies over New Mexico, concluding the film.

This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com