The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-05-27
LOCAL NEWS 8.

ihh EeLirsE--Almost the entire population the
q ee yesterday afternoon with spy glasses and pieces
smoked glass in hand to behold the observation the
sun The eclipse came off" at the hour and the OBJ
scufaton continued the length Of time calculated by the
learned IN such matters Lamentaby deficient oursef in
the science OF astronomy, cannot with instruction in
terest 70 the reader dwell upon the imposing phenomenon
but viii only say that in all respects the equaed
magnitude and interest the expectations of citizens
For the qualification and instruction our readers we
present below extracts from articles in the Encyclopedia
Americana upon eelpses of the sun and moon
An eclipse Of the moon ID priyation of the light of the
saa @ By an ntepoon q he earth between
happen at full for it is only when the oppo
sa a Sa. BE- can cG I. within the es shadow which
the The earth being in the plane Of the eclptc the
of it. It's 81 hpdow i in That plane I
the shadow of the earth will fall upon it, The shadow
the plane Of the eolpto it, therefore the moon n OPP
position be Of its nodes that its latitude
But because the plane Of the moons orbit makes angle of
than five degrees with the plane Of the ecptc it will
frequently have too much latitude its opposition allow
it to come within the shadow Of the earth
An eclipse Of the sun is occultaon of part of the face
the earth and the thus all ecpses Of the sun hap
pen the time of The dark central part of the
1 where The suns rays are wholly intercepted
them are intercepted called the Penuba and evident
the umbra falls there will Be total eclipse Of the sun at that
place in the penumbra there will be partial eclipse, and
beyond the penumba there Will be eclipse As the earth
Is not always Mt the distance from the moon,
eclipse should happen when the til is far from the
that the rays Of light from the upper and lower
EARTH spectator situated the EARTH in direct line be-
tween the centres Of the sun and the moon would see ring
is called onar when this happens there be total
e % aHss mot
partial eclipse and an eclipse can never be annuar longer
So seconds the duration of eclipse of the
exceed hours 20 minutes A seconds.
"The being larger than the earth the earth's shadow
cone, whose base the surface Of the earth and the
ecpsed by section Of the earths shadow If the
earth were larger than equal to- the its shadow
but IN ths IL" planets woud
sometimes within it. and be cepsed which hap
duces shadow tho earth Of conica FORM which d.
not extend to the orbit Of Mars An eclipse the
al when only part Of its disc within the shadow Of the
earth it is total when all its disc is within the shadow and
it is central when the centre of the earths shadow falls upon
the centre Of the moons disc Now the any part Of
the penuba the umba the less light receives from
the and as the enters the penumbra before she
tiers the umbra she gradually loses her light and
less brilliant The duration Of eclipse OF the moon from
her first touching the earths penumbra to her leaving it,
continue in the ears umbra longer than three hours and
three quarters in eclipse neither is she totally ecpsed
for longer period than hour and three quarters As
the is actually deprived Of her light during eclipse,
every nhabtan upon the face of the earth who the
said happens when the moon passing between the and
the EARTH inerceps the suns light and the only be
ecpsed the moon, when the moon its conjunc
ton is in Of its nodes for unless the moon
in or near one Of its nodes i cannot appear in near the
pass the disc of the At every other part of
its orbit it viii have much northern southern latitude
appear above below the If the be
its nodes having altitude il will the whole disc Of
the sum- and produce total eclipse except when its apparent
dameter is less than that of the ii be
nodes having small degree of latitude it viii only pass
part Of the suns disc produce partial eclipse.
In total eclipse OF the SUM- the shadow unbra of the
falls upon that part of the earth where the eclipse
and spectator placed in the shadow will not
part OF the because the moon will intercept all the
OF light directly the partial eclipse
Of the sas psnabsa imyerso, shadow q the moon,
Were the orbit of the earth and of the both
the plane there would be eclipse Of the every
the orbit II the makes angle of FIVE degrees and
quarter with the plane of the eas orbit and in
two points called the nodes. Astronomers have calculated
that if the be less than II degrees Il minutes from
either node at the time Of the moon the may be
ecpsed less than IL degrees "a minutes from either
node the full moon the may be ecpsed at all other
times there be eclipse for the shadow of the
win fail either above below the earth the time If
and the shadow Of the earth will fall either above
below the at the time Of full An eclipse Of the
begins the side q his disc and ends the
and eclipse Of the begins the eastern
side OF her disc and ends the western The average num-
Der Of eelpses year is four of the and Of
the moon and the and moon lonr below the
horizon Of any particular place as they are ssove It, the
lumber OF visible ecpscs IN year Is two, one OF
/ the sun and one Of the moon,
| GEs. NAraAsrl Gnrrxr-Tbo name Of this ilustrous
patriot who 6gurcd during revolutionary struggle Is
dear TO every American heart The gallant general
great fayorite with the Father Of his Country and his
valor skill and selfdenyug sacrifices in the Of Amer
lean liberty known and appreciated by all lovers Of the
country, daughter Of Gen. Greene, Mrs O. H. Lttle6eld
is visit the city, and she be by her friends
and the friends OF her ustrious father, at Browns Hotel
This LADY, the heir Of her father has claim before Con-
gres and the object Of her visit TO the Of government
70 facilitate her interest About the merits Of the claim
madvised but Of one thing certain that Con-
grc will consider II duty and esteem privilege
award promptly the daughter Of benefactor Of the
country any which II may be ascrtaned due to
1 him.
CowoERr rms ryErINe.-We learn from entitled
the highest respect that the Count and Countess who
give this evening at Carus FALCON scientific
and pleasing singers Beside their musical aanments they
recommended for their excellent personal qualities They
have had TO contend with he sings and Of out
rageous fortune = and this trust viii induce the liberal
| to pstronizo them.
0LD-SouooL PnrpsyrEHiAss.At meeting of the gen
assembly of his denomination OF Chran recently
held Buffalo New York report made and approved
recommending the erection Of imposing church cdi6ce in
the city Of Washington. .
THr ARREST FnKScH cossULn the Alta California
received by the arrival Of the North Star find the
following in reference TO the matter Of the arrest Of the