The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-08-07
THE GREAT ECLIPSE OF 1868.


terest now, in view of the complete organization
nerfected by our American astronomers to OBJ
serve the totality of todays eclipse in our West
ern States and in Alaska. The breadth of the
totality was then 143 miles, and the maximum
duration of seven minutes without parallel in
the annals of astronomy.
Six parties were sent out last year by various
Governments societies, or individuals. One
from the Royal Society, under Lieutenant Hers
chel located itself at Belgaum, in India; an
other from the Royal Astronomical Society,
under Major Tenants, went to Guntoor in
india. at which place a French party under NJ.
Jansen, who represented the Academic des Sci
ences. also established itself Another French
marty under NJ. stephan, posted themselves at
Wah-Tonne, on the peninsula of Malacca, while
Russian corps under DR.. Vogel, took their
Ground at Alden, in Arabia, near the mouth of
tbe Red Sea- A few individual observers were
stationed at intermediate points; and lastly, an
English party, under Captain IIaig, fixed upon
Beejapour, in India.
The special points to which attention was d
rected by all parties were:-l. Photographic re-
cords of the phenomena. 2. Observation of the
nrotuberances or rose-colored flames. 3. Obscr-
walton of the corona with the poariscopc. 4.
Observation of the corona and protubcranccs
with the spectroscope.
Much valuable data for investigation was oh
tanned by these observers. Several of the red
prominences were visible, and photographed at
different stations. At Guntoor Major Tenant
photographed one which from its size and shape
was called the Great Horn. Mr.. De La Rue
whose photogra phs of the sun in 1860 were un-
couaTed. states that the copies which he had re-
ceyed were not sufficiently distinct to enable
him to ascertain whether there was any change
tlo of iron IuripG Major
Tenants observations, but that it is very pro-
bable that there was; for that prominence as de-
pcted by different observers along the line of
totaty presented appearances warranting
the suspicion that the Great Horn was
undergoing rotations: and at a later date he re-
cognizes evidence of such rotation in Maj Ten
nant's glass copies of his photographs. But
there was glare of light beneath the prominen-
ces which the observations did not satisfactorily
explain; and Mr.. De La Rue states that it is
necessary to ''wat for future solar eclipscs be-
fore we can ascertain with certainty whether
there is any self-luminOus atmosphere between
the photosphere and the under side of the pro-
minences;" and he suggests the importance of
taking Photographic observations as nearly as
possible on both the northern and southern
limits of the shadow, as well as ut stations stu-
ated near its centre.
Professor BraNley utuuCcS from tnc ODSerNl-
tions ''the strongest evidence that the facup Cor
bright portions of the suns disc) and the lumi-
nous prominences are identical, or at least that
the latter are the superior examinations of the
former. If such be the fact, they must also be
connected with the spots" He says:-'It will
be consistent with all known facts to believe
that they are the prolonged SUBMITS, rising
from the level of the photOsphGre, or that por-
tion of the suns atmosphere from which we re-
ceive light ''of the torrents of matter originally
wholly gaseous, ascending from the nucleal
regions of the sum- which, piercing through the
successive envelopes of the nucleus, form the
cloudy stratum to the photosphere; and that the
observed height to which the promiuences
ascend is at once the consequence and the index
of the enormous force with which the original
torrents are projected from the nucleus"
The polarscope showed at various places of
observation that the prominences gave no indi-
cation of polarized light; but ON the other hand,
that the light of the corona was polarized in a
plane passing through the suns centre. The
most important observations, however were
with the spectroscope-that wonderful instru-
mcnt by which astronomers can determine the
chemical constituents of the heavenly bodies
Upon the corona, these observations gave nc
result, or showed very faint and apparently
continuous spectrum. The luminous promi,
nences, however, showed themselves to be
gaseous, and gave marked spectra of bright
lines. The correspondence of three of these
lines a red, blue, and a violet, with those de-
rived from the light Of hydrogen heated by III
electric discharge, is very marked, the latter
showing brilliant rose color This combined
with other analyses, makes it extremely proba.
BILE that hydrogen is Il main constituent of these
prominences.
The only photographs that have been gene
rally circulated are those taken by the Prussial
expedition under Dr. Vogel, one of which wa
sent to the PhiIaielphia Photographer. Th
objects seen at the first moment of totality con
sist chiefly of a long series of hame-like protu
berances, stretching for distance of ut leas
100000 miles along the edge of the SUM- ant
composed of more brilliant central masses, witt
tongues and fringes of central light. The i'm
preston conveyed is of vast confagratiol
blown by a wind from left to right, and seel
over the edge of a serrated range of hills. TIL
tiame-like appearance of these luminous protu
berances must, however, be regarded as only a
accidental similarity of shape, as there are man
reasons which make the existence of anythin
like true combustion in these regions extremel
rare. Following around the solar and luna
edge to the right, there is encountered n towe
like mass Of similar luminous matter which, O
comparison with the solar radius is found to |
nearly 10000 miles high and about 10000 mile
across the base. Assuming that the other d
mcnsion is about the same, its entire vOlun
would approach 1000, 900, 100000 of cubic mile
, or twenty-seyen times the earths entire bul
or enough to cover its surface to depth of ne