The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1869-03-26
The Total Eclipse OCfhe Sssls .t'eat
saHgtsst.

Professor G.. Able, director of the Gin
cnnati Observatory, has prepared the fol-
lowing account of the path of the total
eclipse of the sun in August next:
beginning on the earth at sunrise on the
18th of August, at point in Asia north of
China Proper, it passes northeast, and cul-
inmates at noon at Sitka, in Alaska; then
sweeps southeast near Omaha, over Licking.
ton, Kentucky, and Beaufort, North Caro-
lima, leaving the earth at sunset at a point
in the Atlantic Little southeast of the lat
ter city.
"It is evident that if we stand within the
central dark shadow and look upward at
the sun, we shall find the luminary entirely
covered by the moon and hidden from
view for few minutes, during the middle
OF the eclipse. If we, however, stand with
in this central shadow, we shall behold the
moon, at the maximum of the eclipse, pro-
jected ON the sun and hiding only portion
of his disc; an appearance similar to that
which precedes and succeeds the total OBJ
scuration, as seen by those situated upon
the central path. This region within which
some portion only of the sun is covered by
the moon, corresponds to that dusky zone
that surrounds the shadow cast by the sun,
as before alluded to. We have only to REL
member that in the case of a solar eclipse
the dark central shadow is so encroached
upon as to have scarcely 1-20 or lis the
diameter of the moon, while the penumbral
zone is always very much wider than that
diameter.
"In the eclipse of the 18th of August,
1868, the central zone oftotality was about
100 to 1870 miles wide by 5000 long, from
the northwest to the southeast. The re-
gion within which some portion of the sun
was eclipsed was however, 5000 miles wide
and 10000 long, from northwest to south
east sfa .
"In the eclipse of August, 1869, the CEN
trail shadow will have varying breadth
of about 100 to lis miles, and will extend
5000 miles, passing from southwest to the
northeast, and then bending to the south
east. The breadth of the penumbra, within
which there will be a partial eclipse, will,
however, be about 5000 miles, reaching
from the equator, and Sandwich Islands
and Japan, up to beyond the North Pole.
| "In order that we may hopeto OBJ
serve. under favorable condition, the more
I interesting phenomena of solar eclipse,
| we must be upon the central line of the to-
tality. For the eclipse of the approaching
18th of August, 1869, the central line will
pass over Sitka in Alaska: and over Sioux
City, Dcs Moines and Burlington, in Iowa !;
over Macomb and Springfield, in Illinois !
New Albany, Indiana; Louisville and
Lexington, Kentucky; Abingdon, Virgin
il, and Beaufort, North Carolina. The
exactly computed time of beginning and
ending will be published in time for the
use of those who desire making more exact
observations, and who will naturally by
correspondence with each other agree upon
some we'll matured plan of cooperation.
| ~ y "What the observation Of the
eclipse ofnext August viii bring forth can
not be anticipated. Expeditions will be fit
ted out by the Coast Survey and the Ma
tional Academy of Sciences, and several pri-
vate persons have indicated their intention
TO seek more favorable locations. Although
Lexington and Louisville are so accessible
from Cincinnati, yet in view of the desira-
bility of observing the eclipse when the sun
is high up in the heavens, and as it is not to
be total here, have made many inquiries
regarding points further northwest. When
in Omaha, last August, l received every as
surance of the readiness Of the army officers