New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-07-30

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The following important places lie in the track Of the
eclipse aud will be involved in total or partial darkness,
viz Dcs Moiucs. Iowa City, Fort Madison, Burlington,
and Kcoluk. in Iowa; Springfield, Jacksonville, and
shclbyyille, in Illinois, Yncennes. Terre Hauto' and
NcwADany in Indiana; Louisville, Frankfort, Licking
ton, and Daavile, kentucky; Abingdon, virginia. Tay-
lorsyle Tennessee; and Raleigh, Fayetteville Newborn,
and Beaufort, North Carolina
WHAT TIE OBSERVER SHOULD LOOK FOR DURING THE
TOTAL PHASE.
In addition to the mention We have already made OF
the corona, and red prOtuberanees seen around the
moons dark body, while the entirely obscured. 1t
may DO useful give the reader more extended de-
scripon Of what has been observed in previous total
ecpses with regard interesting phenomena. In
l1O6, at Montpelier, the French astronomers saw the
moon VIXEN the entirely hid, surrounded by a
very white light which formed sort Of crown around
its disc about minutes Of in breadth, or one
tenth the moons apparent diameter Within these limits
the light preserved uniform intensity, and beyond H.
10 the Of about four degrees all around the moon
the light gradually diminishing. till 1t was
finally lost in the obscurity Of the firmament
During total eclipse Of Ills tLOndon, seconds
before the sun completely hid, HALEY lumin
GUS ring around the mOon the breadth Of which
twelfth, perhaps tcnth Of her diameter Its color he
describes as pale white. better perhaps pearl-white,
and II appeared to be very slightly tinted with the cOors
the rainbow. 1t Is almost certain however that these
rainbow tiutg pUsmate effects, due to the imper
feet achrOmats Of his telescope. To French astrOno
mer who London for tho purpose Of observing
tins eclipse the corona ring around the appeared
OF silver color. 1t luminous the borders
OF the MOON aud diminished gradually in intensity up
its exterior circumference This circumference. although
faint very well defined. The did not appear
ofequa intensity on every radating from its center
gave s more the appearance OF the glory around the
heads Of saints This observer also tho innermOst
edge OF the corona, brilliant circle Of red, which prob
ably the earliest notice Of what call the red
prOtuberauces projections. In 1924, Maraldi
Observed for the first time, that the luminous
corona was not concentrio. with tho moon. At the
begionng OF the eclipse f. appeared larger tho
ern than the western side; at the end on the
contrary, larger the west than on the east.
The northern border also somewhat larger than the
opposite The Importance Of these observations that
tey proved the 20 be cOncentric with the
instead OF with the NOON that phenomenon closely
connected with the suns physical constitution. I'm.
pOrtant additions were made to these observations
during the total eeipse Of 177s 1906, and particularly in
1872 On the sth of July in the latter year, Arago and
other astronomers observed tho luminous all
its spend0r. The distinguished French astronomer
describes it as composed first Of circular congu
Gus to the dark border Of the NOON and Of second
fainter contiguous to the first The light Of the
its exterior limit That Of the first nearly uniform
throughout In the direction Of the line which Joined
the points Of the solar disc where the eclipse would begin
and end, there two large wings which might be
considered expansions Of the second luminous
The sides of these wings terminated by that
were cOncave outward. and which seemed TO be para
boas whose vertices would be tangent TO the
disc AragO this both with his telescope and
with the naked eye.
He also tEoso divergent rays, alternately bright
and dark which caused the corona with all its
ries resemble much glOres drawn around the
headsOf saints These rays seemed TO spring from tho
exterior circumference OF the first circular zone and
20 back to the dark edge Of the NOON In the
total eclipse Of 1859, observed at Honolulu the Sand
wieh Islands, the corona appeared very irregular It
had the appearance Of star with several projecting
branches uneQuay arranged around its circumference
and OF unequal lengths. It moro luminous toward
the moons disc, but it did not offer, either a whole
or any Of its parts, any well defined, round limb;
no regular ring in fact around the moon. Its
light diminished very uniformly Outwards, without
presenting any sudden variations that perceptble
Next the corona, the phenomena demanding partic
ular attention are the prOminences, prOtuberanees,
flames, or red projections which usually in the
lower portion Of the white ring the edge Of the
moon. These curious appearances particularly
studied by the Eagh and other astronomers who went
20 the coasts OF Sweden and Norway to observe them in
1851 Mr. Airy, tho Astronomer Royal OF England OBJ.
served the pouberances the western side OF the sun
TO increase, while those eastern side diminished IN
extent and disappeared before the end Of the total phase
Just before tho western limb OF the reappeared he
saw long series Of small protubcrances Of very red
color touching the edge Of the moon, and embracing an
Of its circumference thirty degrees in extent They
are generally Of red or rose tint, and are sometimes
large enough to be visible by the naked eye.
The eminent English astronomers, who so carefully
observed in Sweden the great eclipse OF July 49, 1851 and
Prof Bond Of Harvard University saw tho wonderful
coronna and also the red prOminences flames upon DIFF
feren points Of the moons disc During the memorable
eclipse in India last August which total for nearly
seven minutes, the numerous French, German, aud |
English astronomical observers attracted thther, OBJ
served these pomnences with great care by the aid Of
the speeroscope and 10 the conclusion that these
phenomena were due presence Of an ncandescent
or highly heated hydrogen gas surrounding the SUMS
disc, and extending outward apparently distance Of
5000 or COOOO miles
For the grand effects Of total eclipse on the surround
ing scenery the following description by Mr. Hind OF
that which he observed on tho 2h Of July 1851 may be
taken as sample. lie says: "The aspect Of nature dur
ing the total eclipse, grand beyond description