New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-12-06

oo., have hoe, the effect produced upon the minds
Of the early inhabitants OF the hAin Dy thls pne-
commemorative the causes which produced II
were unknown. and IL was Impossible To predict Us
cornino-wben at the noon of a gorgeous and sunny
day. IL presented itself to their sstonished gaze
sn,slv we NAV imagine that. after such startling
phenomenon the most pow erful intelects were con
secrated to the investigation OF this my stery
Now shall venture 70 attemp, an explanation
10 GO far enough TO show % you bow II was that
the first eclipse was predicted, 20 that you your.
selves can. with the eye alone make the requisite
observations and attain sufficient knowledge 70 be
able yourselves 10 predict the coming Of such
event This may seem very diiicult-and 1t is mar
velOus even now with all the aid Of Astronomical
tables, aud all the knowledge we have derived from
the stored Past. How il could have been done
thousands of years ago, when the true knowledge
OF our System did not exist is most remarkable and
entirely inexpicsble. Let US examine into this
matter
In the first place the attentive eye marked the
fact that when an eclipse Of the San occurred no
Moon was visible. This/was a very important
point, aud aroused by the discovery OF tins TACT they
watched the movements OF the Moon and marked
it's position before the coming eclipse. The next
night after the eclipse they found the Moon close to
the Sun-a silver crescent, actually located IN such
manner that II it pursued its wOnted orbit 1t must
have passed very near the Sun AZ the very time the
eclipse took place. The Moon was last seen on this
slde-lmme0l6tey alter the ODscufdtlOh IL Occupltu
the other side. They joined these two points, and
by the rate OF motion Of the Moon calculated how
long 1t took for the Moon 10 come up To a junction
with the Sun, and 1t found to be Just such
as 10 allow the Moon 10 come in conjunction
with the Sun at the very time OF the eclipse Hence
they reached the conclusion that the Moon was
passing between the eye Of the observer and the
Sun, and in that manner the light OF the Sun had
been intercepted. Here was explanation OF
the extraordinary phenomenon of "a Solar Eclipse.
But how was 1t possible for them 70 calculate the
return Of an eclipse! This will require more at
tention | beg you 10 remember that We have no
history going back sufficiently far to record this
wonderful discovery tradition knows nothing
oft We must then 20 back in Imagination, and
speculate concerning IL.
In the first place, 1t remarked that the track
pursued by the Sun and the Moon among the
fixed stars was circular Now II It were possible
for me 10 mark out the track OF the sun IN the
heavens--ii it would, for our accommodation, leave
a broad belt equal 10 breadth to its diameter-ii the
Moon in like manner should leave the mark OF its
track, these two bolts would not coincide but
would cross each other in two opposite points -
These are what are called the Nodes. You will
understand what follows without difficulty. Now
in order that it should be possible that the eclipse
should take place, you will readily perceive that
it was necessary not only that the Moon should be
in conjunction with the Sun, but it must actually
cross the track of the Sun when in conjunction in
order to make eclipse. The Moon must be IN
one of these nodes or an eclipse cannot take place.
But again, it has been already observed that ALI
eclipse cannot occur except at New Moon Com
bne these two facts II it should so happen that
the New Moon should come in just at the instant 1t
was crossing under the disc of the SUM- then wou d
the Moon interpose itself between the eye and the
sun and al eclipse would necessarily occur.
Now then, TO find out that period Let us 60 III
imagination if you please, to the top OF some noun
tain peak, where the MISUNDERSTANDING him
selffrom the word-carries on his nightly observa-
tons. He has reached TO the knowledge OF the
fact that there will be eclipse OF the Sun 1t the
New Moon occur at the time she is in her node.
He already knows the time for the New Moon to
come in, which is fixed and certain. He believes
be can compute the time when the next node will
come round, and to do it he seizes the aid OF the
Moon tonight. He runs onward till he finds when
the New Moon will appear, and discovers that
when 1t round 1t is not In the act OF crossing
the Suns path. He runs round another cycle ana
finds again that 1t is not on the Suns track. lie
extends his Investigations still farther from one lu-
nation to another-he finds the New Moon ap'
preaching nearer and nearer TO the desired place,
till finally it comes exactly TO this point Inc com
pution is marked. There" he says, when that
day round announce to the inhabitants OF the
world that the Sun shall lose its light
With what anxiety he must have watched the
coming of that day How slowly did the revov-
ing Moons pass by At last the day arrives he
retres to his rocky summit, there TO await the test
OF his triumph or his defeat. The Sun rises, bright
and beautiful-t mounts the heavens, aud scatters
glory in its path. While the mortal world below
are engaged in the avocations OF business and the
pursuits of pleasure, he is watching with Intense
anxiety to know what the result will be- But in
the very noon OF the day his triumph arrives The
Sun begins 10 iade-it wanes-it dies The terror
stricken millions below cry with agony, while TINS
lone man. on his bleak and barren wstch-tower with
out stretched arms offers his thanks TO the God oil
the Universe who has crowned bis efforts with sue
cess lApplause.)
But, alas, for human fame Surely that individ
ual might have hoped to believe that he who bad
first predicted the coming OF an eclipse VINO mad
removed the causes of terror which this phenome
non had spread among the inhabitants OF Earth
should have his name engraved upon the tablet OF
Fame "w with a pen OF iron and the point OF dia
mond" Vet his name-his nation, is lost for ever
No history reaches So far back-no tradition eau ex
tend 10 the point of time when he lived, or where
Now, by a most remarkable and wonderful ar
rangement of the lunations, on the return OF The
New Moon it is found that after we have predicted
one eclipse II will 60 and each success
give eclipse for the period OF between Is and ls
wears, ut the end OF the cycle OF 223 years they
will have run round what might be called an orbit
and again occur on the same days. Hence, alter
Ihey had recorded eclpses for one such cycle there
was no difficulty In predicting an eclipse at any ia
ture time The coincidence, however, is not exact
Hence If an eclipse occur on the 10Th OF March
; 900 years ago, 1t may in the course of time wear
gradually around and disappear but many years
must roll round before, on the recurrence OF the
cycle, an eclipse will not take place.
AS soon as it was possible to understand the
cause OF the eclipse OF the Sun, the human mind as
directed TO the alton OF the producing
an eclipse OF the Moon. This was far more d III
cult aud for this reason In the eclipse OF the Sun
they had watched the coming up OF the Moon To
the Sun its passage across the Suns disc, believ.
| ing without question that the eclipse was caused
by its interposiiion betw cen them and the Sun and
that 1t occurred only at New Moon But what was to
| nterpose itself between the bcholder aud the faH
| Moon There seemed to be nothing IN the heavens
! Upon reflection the human mind bethought itseii
that every body which revolves In the light OF an-
other luminous body, will east a shadow beyond III
a right line with the light itself Now If the Earth
IS opaque, 1t might intercept the light thrown upon
| II from the sun casting a shadow toward the hori
son, and might 1t not be projected far enough n
reach the Moon itself, that the Moon IN passing
into the shadow, having no light OF its own, would
| be obscured Here is an explanation OF the cause
| OF the Lunar Eclipse, revealing to the early AS
tronomers the fact that the Moon was not selflu.
mnous.
1 No. ,he az nj anation of the Phases of the Moon