The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-12-04
THE COMING ECLIPSE.
Tho Great Celestial Phenomenon
Of December "A.
Line OF Observation of the Total Eclipse Of the
sun-The savans Enlightening the World
from Darkness-What solar Eclipse
Reveals-The Gladstone Cabinet at
War v 18th ths Astronomers

The curiosity that is at all times excited-says u
London lonrnal--by the occurrence OF . celestial
phenomenon has been especially heightened wln
respect to the solar eclipse OF December ~ next
account OF the ungracious reception which the gov
eminent at first recorded TO application from the
astronomers of the country for assistance to enable
them to take that advantage OF the occasion which
the present state OF science demands. with their
customary foresight, the celestial philosophers ar
ranged their programme OF operations early In the
year. An accurate Gale ulation OF the path which
the moons shadow would follow a. 1t swept across
the EARTH and the graphical projection OF that path
upon d map, at once determined the stations at
which observers must be located to make the most
or the event.
The line along which the sun will be seen Totally
collapsed stretches from the North Atlantic across
the south Of Spain, passing almost centrally over
Odemira, Tavira, Cadiz and Estepona; then passes
over Algeria, cutting Oran and Batna, and goes
through Syracuse, In Sicily, away into Turkey and
Greece The duration Of total observation any Of
these places Will be few seconds, greater or less
than two minutes an interval too short to make the
eclipse highly important one; and the probable
value is further diminished by low altitude OF the
sun, and the consequent possibility OF winter msts
impairng the observations. All astronomical and
meteorological conditions having been fully consid
~
parties to the neighborhood OF Cadiz and to SYRIA
cuse.
The observing forces were marshalled, and about
sixty gentlemen who had expressed their willing
ness to make the journey were told or for
the various departments OF observation. TO
wnicn we SNAIL nave presently 10 allude; snip
the two stations, and sum OF money was
wanted TO increase, the grant Of $500 which
ciety Jointly voted to defray the Of instrument
tai equipment The Admiralty were asked for two
eclipse EXPEDITION OF 1860 ana for grant Of e. 600;
ana, although unofficial DOtt,p0fte,s reasona-
bly, hopeful, and although, IA It has since trans
PRED Mr. Chders looked favoraDly upon the appli-
cation, an answer was, after several weeks delay,
returned to the effect that ships could not lent,
and that for money the Treasury must be applied
to- TO the Official mystery here involved there is no
present clue. Piqued at their repuse and possibly
thinking that the money without the ships would be
OF no avail, the astronomers represented by Joint
committee OF the societies above named let the mat
ter rest. Some Indignation was aroused ana found
vent for time In appeals to public sympathy; nut
when an American astronomical party came 70
England to arrange for observing the eclipse and
brought $4,000 OF their government money
40 FOR the English observers what the
British government apparently declined TO do the
necessity for pressing she matter further was mere
than apparent. A deputatlon was named TO urge
the claims of the occasion upon Mr.. Gladstone: but
before this could be organized MIR. Lockyer, one OF
the prime movers In the business, waited informally
upon Mr. Lowe, ana found ham entirely favorable TO
the bsstowal OF any reasonable amount Of aid.
originally asked for-was named as the maximum
sum that an authorized committee might expect To
have placed to their account.
SCIENTIFIC iNQUIRY-wBAr A SOLAR ECLIPSE RE-
yEAIS.
We win now pass to the consideration OF the phe
n0mena which are revealed by solar eclipse and
the particular point OF interest attaching to obser
yatlons OF the one under notice. For our present
purpose we may consider che astronomical data de-
rivable from a solar eclipse as OF two kinds. One
refers to the movements OF the moon the other to
the physical constitution OF the The first
by saying that the appearance Of the moon against
or IN front OF the sun allows IN sbser-
heavens to be made at a very crficcal SSint in her
orbit-namely, when she Is In direct line between
the earth ana the This observation Is OF great
| Importance 10 mathematical astronomy, but iG can
only be completely made ut fixed observatory
which, by the way, need nor DC on Inc line OF
gramme OF an observing expedition 10 ID far country.
such an expedition must devote Itself TO the acquire
meDt OF physical and cosmcal knowledge from ap-
pearances which are only shown when the disc OF
the moon completely hides the disc Of the sun, and
permits the view OF certain solar surroundings
when are otherwise too fant to be seen. These sur
roundngs of twofold character. First, there Is
silvery white. glowing radiation, OF considerable
doubtless the really-like the glory which PANT
ers depict around the heads OF sainted personages.
Tunes, aud the tirst chronclers Of It's appearance
gave 1t the name OF corona by which it has since been
known. Second, there Is close to the sun narrow
fringe OF brilliant req excrescences, which
170e, ana for time supposed TO be
an atmosphere around the Moon. The records OF
this early observatlen and OF another similar to it
near Its date were forgotten by Astronomers till the
observers Of the eclipse of 1ss2 electrified upon
beh0ling at the instant Of totally q number Of
flame-coored masses OF light protrudng as 1t were
from the black lunar disc From that time the cred
mount features Of solar eclipse Il tle eclpses OF
1851 and 1860 the greatest pains were bestowed upon
the observation OF them, photography lending Its
valuable aid upon the second occasion. In Mr. De
la Rue's hands the camera telescope did excellent
work, and by the evidence that the hnerring photo
graphs Afforded 1t was settled that the red some-
times cloud-like, sometimes fame-hke protuDer-
ances certainly pertained TO the sun. BY the date
OF the next important eclipse uS6S new tool, the
SpectroScope was In the hands OF observers. How
well they used 1t in India those who take even o
small interest in scientific progress win remember.
The little prism OF glass, that had already told
wonders concerning the materials that supply fine
solar furnaces, then added 10 Its trumphs by shsw
ing that these red excrescences part OF shell
Of glowing gas surrounding the solar globe But
even this achievement was 0ut-Lriumphed before
me year was closed. consideration OF
dspcrses, and therefore dates Inc helero@eneo ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
light which comes from the SUMS general surface
while IT allows to pass unaffected the homogeneous
the prominences were proved TO be-tEe consldera-
ton or this diverse action suggested TO Messrs.
L0ckyer IN England and NJ. Jansen in India, TO try
whether the promnences could not be seen without
an ecllpsesby turning their spectroscopes to the
edge OF the sun. They independently made the ex-
pertinent ana were rewarded by the sight OF the red.
glowing solar clouds, spite of the dazzling bril-
liancy Of the sun. They virtually put out the sun
BY really spreading lis light over such as TO
make the resulting brightness less than that OF the
prominences--tne light OF which Will not spread
itseif-and then these were clearly seen. The red
surroundings have now become familiar things,
and their ever changing positions and appearances
around the whole circumference OF the solar disc
are day by day graphically resorded. 1t will be
understood that although they are only seen upon
the SUMS border, they really the whole globe
for the prominences' are but the higher parts OF
an irregular and tempestusns atmosphere OF glow
ing gas with which that globe is envel0ped.
Into the vast field srnquiry and speculation which
has been opened cut by Ghls easy method 81 con-
stantly studying the suns flaming atmosphere
which seems 10 roat his incandescent surface
like mist lowering over lake, and TO be init
Rately associated with spots and ether solar
face OF phenOmena-we have not time to enter,
Suice 1t for ms that there is no longer need for
eclipse to render the red shells contour visible and
that 1t will, therefore, receive small attention In
December next In the early stage OF the prepara-
tory arrangements 1t was proposed to provide ap.
paratus for again photographlDg the eclipse phe-
nsmena, but 1t was never clearly settled whether