The daily clarion. [volume] (Meridian, Miss.) 1863-1866, 1865-10-06
le OIaIIOH.
Tho Great Eclipse.

A great and extraordinary eclipse OF
the sun will take place on the 18TH OF
this month. I purpose explaining the !
cause, the nature and the appearances OF
eclipes generally, and Of this one IN par
t:cular. l write, not for the Astronomer
but for the general reader, and therefore
shat use such terms as are easily under
stood.
The earth passes around the sun in I
one year. The moon passes around the
earth nearly thirteen times IN a year.
Now the moon, in passing around the
earth, comes nearly between the sun and |
the earth thirteen times in year. This
happens at the change Of the moon.
The earth a. Lemoon passes, comes |
between the sun and the moon thirteen
times in agar. This happens at fuii
moon. Thus the sun, earth and moon
are nearly in one straight line twenty
six times in a year, and are situated as
if one were at each end Of yard stick,
and one in The middle of it. The sun Is
a luminous body. the earth and moon
are opake and borrow their light from
the sun.
Although these three bodies get into
line twenty-six times in year, yet when
passing, they do not generally get into an
exact line, hence there is no eclipse.
But when they get into an exact line,
then there is an eclipse either of the sun
ho rth
actly between the sun and moon, it casts
its shadow upon the moon and then the
moon is eclipsed. But when the moon
gets between the sun and the earth, it
hides part or all of the sun from us and
then the sun is eclipsed. aH
The sun, in round numbers, is eight
hundred thousand miles in diameter.
The earth is eight thousandand the moon
is only two thousand, hence the sun Is
one hundred times as broad as the earth
and four hundred times as broad as the
moon The immense magnitude OF the
sun must be considered to understand
this subject. If one million of worlds, as
large as ours, were thrown into one mass,
they would not make globe as large as
the sun. 1t is ninety-fiye millions OF
miles from us, while the moon is only
! two hundred and forty thousand miles
I distant. The sun may be compared to
pumpkin, the earth to a buckshot and
the moon to a birdshot. 'Fis obvious
from this illustration that the shadows OF
the earrh and moon ccme to an end, at
no great distance from the dark bodies
The earth's shadow always reaches beyond
Un0 uIUUn, Iu0 IIIoUn el1oo10" SVA SVAA- -o'tA--~ -
, reaches the earth and sometimes it does
, not.
To understand this interesting eclipse
it is necessary to know that the sun ano
the moon are, at certain times, nearer tc
times, and the nearer the moon Ito the
earth, and the farther it is from the sun
the larger will be its shadow upon the
earth's surface. Illustrated thus: Shu
one eve, hold half dollar near the othel
eye and it will hide the whole window
but put the money farther from your eye
, and it will hide but part of the window
, Thus the moon, when nearest the eartf
! can hide the whole sun, but when farthe
from the earth can hide only a part o
G it, as in the coming eclipse.
Now those persons who happen to b.
! in that place on the earth, where th'
, eclipse is central, that is where a righ
: line starting from the centre of the sun
! passing through the centre of the moon
, will reach the earth just where they are
will see an annular eclipse. The moor
? will appear a large dark body, in til,
E centre Of the sun, and around 1t will ap
; pear the edge of the sun as a bright, fer,
; ring. The moon not being near enougl
to thesearth 10 hide the whole sun
Those who live north or south Of the cen
> tral eclipse, will see this ring broken ol
J, one side of the sun, and wider am
a brighter on the opposite side. We il
= Clark and Lauderdale Counties, belni
south of the central point, will see
!, thus broken. The visible part of tn
y sun will be crescent with sharp horns
q like the moon two or three days old.
IS TIL. moon, from the .diurnal motion O
d the earth, appears to move around tn
]. world from East to West, but it actual
ts moves around from West to East, henc
g the eclipse will move with the moor
that is it will appear in the western par
of America first, will cross the continent
A. the Atlantic Ocean, ana will pass int
@ Africa, at the rate of over two thousan,
Al miles an hour. aav,
| The shadow of the moon will pass fror
lf Washington Territory over Kanas, Ter
r nessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgi
a. and South Carolina into the Atlanti,
i. 1t will be central in South Carolina, Ter
Is nessee and other places It's centre wi
p be north of Mississippi, but it will b
!? nearly annular in the northern part {
il the State. In Lauderdale and the &C
y joining counties, tea aiigits or 5.6th (
,e the sun will be covered.
IS This eclipse will be sublime phenon
&c enon and will last three hours, beginnin
lie little before eight o'clock, and lastip
d until nearly eleven. With q piece {
20 sD1ok ad GLASS opa an oasilv sao th