The Sun.
London, England, 1816-11-16 00:00:00

ECLIPSE OF TOE S-U>l.

[From a CornispQndent.l
The astronomical worlii are looking with no
str‘4ll4legrve tat sulicitocle for a cicar unclontlell
fiky-on l ile,tlay Itloviiitol next, ben otie of the
itio,timpork Agit eclip.es will take place that
bat, wrtareti visible to thrse pares of the globe for

maay years.
A solar eclipse is caused by the intervention of
.the moon bet ween us and the sun, by which means
pit of the son's tate is liiel from us.
This pheitomet.on can only happen at, the times
:of new moon, or when that luminary, in het
monthly circuit, passes between the earth an-
,suit, called by astronomer: conjunction ; it is
then that, the solar rays falling upon that side ot
the atoms which, is turned from its w,e are depriv-
ed of her brilliancy .until she has proceeded so tar
'beyond conjunction, it, her course round the earl h,
as to enable us to see the edge of her illumined
face as a tine crescent immediately after sun-set.
• Lun,r eclipses are,prothieed by the moon pass-
ing into the conic .l shadow, which the earth pro-
'jects behind it opposite In the sun's rays (as the
shddoee of one body would fall upon another
'placed in line with a lighted lamp or candle), which
'can only happen about the three of toil moon. or
when the whole of her enlightened side is pre-
.sented towards the earth, being then in the oppo-
- site part of the heavens to the sun, called by as-
' tronomers opposition.
Front this it would appear, that eclipses are
liable to happen once every fortnight ; but this
does not take place, in cousequence of the moon's
orbit crossing the ecliptic (or sues apparent
path) obliquely, at certain points called its nodes ;.
so that an eclipse does not take place every time
the moon conies into that part of her orbit which
is in coojimetion between the sun and the earth,
• because she is a little aboye• or a little below the
direct line of.sieht ; consequently no part-of the
tun, is hid front us by the moon's hotly, unless
happen that, she, is-crossing tie ecliptic (viz, in,
her node,) ,at the precise• time that the moon is
new :coojunetion), which cire.toosisuee
rarely .occurring, is the • cause that eclipses take
place but seldom,
. From the ephemeris,; it appears that the eclipse
*.- of the sun °lt Tuesday .mottintg• next vt ill• emu-
mence at 18 minutes past .8 &clock ; that its
.• greatest observation will .beast '2-4 minims past 9;
and the'enit $4 minutes after I().
'lt- will be the most important eclipse of the sun
,that has been viwibte •to these ;huts of the earth
t since the Ist of April, 17:64.- On the morning:of
September 5,!.17.93, a very'considerable:eclipse
took place; but the present:will, be :something
greater, digits 9 degrees, '24. minutes, upon the
' sun's -north limb, so that rather. more than three-
toarters of the sun's fare, will be tlarlvened, arid he
. AAA appear' soon after". 9 .a crescent-as the moon
2 days Old, the. voints of the horns wined
tip-
.vvtirds,; •atid,in the. More- northern parts of tbi
;.islarrilahe abscurailo•twill•be still greater,
•-•-, '6%04W-the atmosphere prove clear, this *ill be
-eh.very iateressing phenotneuon the; scientific ;
but it is to b.... leered the' marnitig yapotat• of the
trijzopolisavill, at tlrt'yseasoit•of the year, scarcely
clearolf so early as to, afford a •gooit.observation
at London, except on the outskirt-s'of the town.