Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-07-01
THE soLAE ECLIPSE.
The Coming Total Eclipse ON August
Tan Account Of These Occurring
I'm 1884 and Isso-Fhe Preparations
Made by She Navy Department for
Z observations. --t

Observations. 81
i From the Washington Chronicle. June "a.
! From the earliest ages the stud,
of the celestial phenomena has eve
been an object of the most lively
interest-an Interest prompted alik'
| by the sublime nature of the pur,
suit itself and the important prac.
tical results which have attended
it. Since the period when the study
first met with it's success, light
khas gone forth with brightness
continually increasing as the igno-
rance and error which attended the
dawn have been dispelled, and the
advances in astronomy have sur
prised the most sapguine expecta-
tions. tle
In no other department of Sci
ence have the principles of the in
ductive method of reasoning been
more happily illustrated, nor has
patient perseverance been rewarded
by more sublime and beautiful re-
suits. By the researches of mod
ern astronomers have been devel-
oped those laws by which the en-
tire planetary system has been reg
ulated since that far remote period,
when first touched by the finger of
the Almighty it commenced in its
vast and rapid revolution, by laws
in themselves simple, yet product
i've of effects the most complicated
and difficult of investigation.
The phenomena attending a total
eclipse of the sun have always
been of a most impressive charac-
ter, but only within comparative
ly recent period have they been OBJ
served Systematically, and still
more recently looked forward 10 as
an opportunity for solving many
important problems in solar phys
les. Prior to 1860 the knowledge
of the physical constitution of the
sun was based almost exclusively
on theoretical grounds. In that
year, however, q somewhat impor-
tant eclipse of the sun occurred,
the line of totality passing over
Spain, expeditions from various
countries being organized to OBJ
serve it. .a -
No single astronomical event
previous to this time excited such
varied interest. Expeditions sent
half way across the globe from
England, France, and Germany,
and fitted with all the necessary
apparatus, were stationed at differ
ent points along the lines of total
ity, from Alden, on the Red sea, to
Wah- Tonne, in the Malay peninsula.
Two expeditions were sent from
England-one nnder the auspices
of the Royal society, which was to
be devoted principally to spectrum
observations of the corona and red
prominences the other from the
Royal Astronomical society, under
the charge of a skillf1l astronomer.
The Royal society spent nearly
9300 for instruments for the expe-
dition; and in case bad weather
should interfere with the observa-
tions at the principal station, four
hand spectrum telescopes, Similar
to those devised and used for OBJ
servations of meteors, were also
sent out to be distributed to other
observers along the central line Of
the eclipse. The French fitted out
two expeditions, under the charge
Of two of their ablest professors.
Two Prussian expeditions were
sent out, as also the officer Of the
Madras observatory, to q spot
along the central line. The shadow
of this eclipse was about 143 miles
broad, the line of totality passing
over Kolapoor, Belgaum, Kurnoul,
Sikunderabad, Ongole, Guntoor
Masulipatam, Rajah, Mandri, the
whole course of the Kistna, and its
delta. Leaving India, proper, the
shadow crossed the bay of Bengal,
the North Andaman island, and
then passed through the Mergui
archipelago and crossed the Malay
peninsula to the island of Borneo.
The reports of these scientific gen
tlemen engaged in taking observa-
tons were the means of infusing an
interest in the sublime study of
astronomy, and applying the prac-
tical test of the theories advanced,
particularly that of the photo
grapic results, and have been the
means of giving enthusiasm to our
astronomers and chemists, who are
anxiously looking forward to the
opportunity that will be offered
this coming August to advance
some steps and solve problems still
in embryo.
A total eclipse of the sun, which
was visible in this country, occurred
on the Both of November, 1884, the
line of totality being nearly similar
to the course of the one about to
occur. AS the government was not
then in possession of the facilities
for making accurate observations,
but little is chronicled Of the results
of the several observations that
were then made.
There was also an almost total
eclipse of the sun on July 2S, 1851,
the total phase of which was visible
in the Arctic regions of America
and in Norway, Sweden and Rus
sia.
The coming total eclipse of the
SUI, which will occur on the 7th of
August next, is the only one since
1884 which could be observed in
any considerable portion of this
country, and no other total eclipse
will be visible in America during
the present century. As partial
eclipse it will be visible all over the
northern parts of this continent,
while the path of the umbra in
which the eclipse will be total is
about 143 miles in breadth, enter
ing the United States near the ori-
gin of Milk river, longitude 80 de-
grees west, thence through the
southwest corner Of Minnesota, and
diagonally through Iowa, crossing
the Mississippi river near Burling
ton, Iowa thence through Illinois,
just north of Springfield, and cross
| inc the Ohio river near Louisville