Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1869-08-05
H-The great eclipse, which occurs

wThe great eclipse, which occurs
next Saturday afternoon, is just now
the absorbing theme Of interest and
discussion. No total eclipse of the
sun has been visible in this country
since 1884, and no other will be visi-
bic during the present century-so
that for the most of us, this'is posi-
lively the last and only chance we
shall have of witnessing this most
interesting phenomenon The line
of the total eclipse will be some 60
miles west of Cincinnati. Here a
small rim of the sun will be left un-
| covered, but its totality is so near us,
and the phenomenon is one of such
rare interest, that it will be watched
by all. , 4
The darkness of total eclipse is
about that of night when the moon
if full--and yet this darkness isde-
scribed as wholly unlike that Of
night A sudden chill comes over
the earth as the sun disappears; the
the larger stars and planets become
visible; a gloom pervades all nature;
the sky changes its azure blue to a
livid purple or violet; surrounding
objects take a yellowish tint, and
the countenances Of persons assume
an unearthly and cadaverous aspect.
A smoked glass will be sufficient
to screen the eye from the sun, and
is the most common instrument of
observation. Let the smoking be
only enough to prevent the dazzling,
but not to effect the distinctness of
view.
From an article by Prof McFar
land, in the Journal and Messenger,
we copy some facts in regard to
eclipses which may prove of inter
est at the present time:
ECLIPsEs EXPLAINED.
The light of the sun falls on the
earth and on the moon. Each Of
these casts q shadow, which runs to
nhacn Ia1 |
their length; that of the moon is
usually about two hundred and forty
thousand miles long, which is about
equal to the earth's distance from
the moon; but the shadow of the
earth is more than three times as
long. When the moon runs into the /
earth's shadow, the moon is eclipsed;
when the earth runs into the moons
shadow, the earth is eclipsed, but we
generally say that the sun is eclipsed.
That is, the moon is between US and
the sun, and partly or wholly hides
the sun from sight, and so the sun
is said to be partially or totally
eclipsed.
If the moons shadow reaches to
the earth, the sun is totally eclipsed
to those within the shadow. If the
shadow does not extend to the earth,
then to those who stand on the part
of the earth toward which the shad-
ow is pointing, there is an aanuLar
eclipse Of the sun; i. e., there is
ring of light on the outer edge of the
sun not hidden by the moon. This
kind is rare.
WHY ECLIPsEs DO NOT OCCUR EVERY
MONTH.
Once every month the moon moves
entirely around the earth, but the
direction of its motion is not exactly
the same as the direction of the
earth's shadow; and so the moon
sometimes passes to the north Of the
shadow, and sometimes to the
south of it, and sometimes through
it. An eclipse of the moon is al
ways at full moon; an eclipse of the
sun always at ne,c moon.
SOMETHING ELSE.
TheplanctJupiter has four moons, I
and in a year there are more than
eight hundred eclipses. counting all
kinds. The planet Uranus also has
four moons. Several eclipses hap
pen there within u few months, and
then follows an interval of more than
forty years, when there are no
eclipses at all.
FURTHER PARTICULARS. ..
An eclipse of the sun always be- ,
gins at sunrise, and ends at sunset;
i. e., at the point on the earth where
the shadow Of the moon first touches
the earth, it is there sunrise; and {
where the shadow leaves the earth, !
it is there sunset. The moon shad-
ow seldom continues on the earth
more than five hours; and for any q
given place, the eclipse can not last c
so long. |