Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1869-07-15
The Coming Eclipse.

The Coming Eclipse.
The coming total eclipse Of the sun,
which will occur on the 7th of Au-
gust next, is the only one since 1881
which could be observed in any con-
siderable portion of this country; and
no other total eclipse will be visible
in America during the present centu-
ry. 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 l43 miles in breadth,
entering the United States near the
origin of Milk river, longitude 3Odeg.
W., thence through the southwest
corner of Minnesota, and diagonally
through Iowa, crossing the Nfississip-
pi.river near this city; thence through
Illinois, just north of Springfield, and
crossing the Ohio river near Louis
Vile, KY; thence through the south
west corner of West Virginia, and
through North Carolina, just south
Of Raleigh, and thence to Newbern,
and entering the Atlantic just north
of Beaufort, N. G. 1880. -.---u.
The Washington Chronicle informs
US that the Navy Department, with
q view to CLEAN all the information
possible, has thus disposed of some of
its most eminent Professors of AS
tronomy: Professor Hall, of the Ma
val Observatory, and Mr.. Joseph A.
Rogers, of the photographic Office,
left Washington City the middle OF
last May for Behring's Strait, under
orders from the Navy Department,
to take observations in that quarter,
at which place the eclipse makes its
advent. Profs. Simon Newcomb,
William Hardness, and J. r. East
man, of the Naval Observatory, have
been ordered to Iowa, each to take
observations, acting independent OF
one another. Prof. Newcomb will
bring with him the largest object
glass from the Naval Observatory he
can procure, and search for asteroids
between Mercury and the sun. Some
ten years since it was thought by
Leve.rier, a distinguished astrono-
mer, that zone Of planets existed
between Mercury and the sun; they
have never yet been discovered, and
no hopes are entertained of their
discovery (if they exist except du-
ring a total eclipse. In view of this
fact, Prof. Newcomb will have this
particular charge under his direction
as part of his duties on the occasion.
Professor Hardness will make OBJ
servations with spectroscope, &c.
DR.. Curtis, Of the United States
army, will accompany the observers,
bringing with him the large equato-
rial from the United States Naval
Academy, loaned to the Observatory
by Vice Admiral Porter for photo
graphic observations.
Professor Eastman will have charge
of and make meteorological observa-
tons. All these will go under the
auspices of the United States Naval
Observatory, Commodore B. F.
Sands, Superintendent, and that In
stitution will have all its Professors
In the field along the path Of totality.
--Haarkeye.
It Is said that Miss Mitchell,
daughter Of the late Professor o. M.
Mitchell, and now the teacher Of
Astronomy In Vassar College, will
bring her class of young ladies to
Iowa to witness the eclipse; whether
to Burlington or Des Moines has not
been decided. Ifthis city IS selected
by Miss Mas II probably will be,
Burlington being out of the track OF
the total eclipse further than this
place-we should meet her and her
class with open arms. Good-looking
girls, twelve or fifteen hundred miles
from home, must he looked after and
treated with the distinction and po-
liteness that Is their due Register.
While upon this subject, that our
readers may be fully prepared for
this significant event, we copy the
following from recent writer:
'sThe chance Of witnessing In ones
lifetime, total eclipse In any given
spot on the earth's surface, is exceed
ingly small. For instance, English
astronomers tell us that the last total
eclipse witnessed ii the British Isles
was In Ills, and that previous 70
that there had not been any for three
hundred and seventy ave years.
Nor will there be another during the
present ceatuFy. Hence the account
Of astronomical expeditions to apain
md = Egypt, ana 70 other places,