New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-05
THE SUNS ECLIPSE.
THE Moovs SHADOW IN SIAM.

THE MOONS SHADOW IN SlAh'
| PRESENT USE OF TOTAL SOLAR ECLIpsEs-PARIicu-
LARS OF THE ECLIPSE OF APRIL q, lSI5-WHAl
ASTRONOMERS WILL SEEK DURING FOUR MN
UTEs-FACTs AND THEORIES AS TO THE FLAN-
ING ENVELOPES THAT SURROUND THE Sun
During the era that produced COpcrnicus. Gallieo
Kepler, and Newton, when the foundations Oh the
science Of astronomy were LAID, 0DsefValiOh' vi
eclipses were of value in testing the accuracy OF
mathematical theory After the great iac's OF inc
solar system had become known, and tho theory was
fixed on firIa basis, the scientific interest when
had been attached to ecllpses gradually died away.
They were still however of service for verifying
historical research and in the great mine OF intor-
nation published under the auspices OF the
French Academy LArt de Verifr les Dates
table prepared by Pingre the Mathematician
and revised by the younger dAIemDert
gave details of all past and future eclpses, from the
beginning of the Christian era to a. d. 2JDO. but 80
far as those Of the concerned, they quite
ceased to attract attention even from PROFESSIONAL
astronomers. Even tho blotting out OF tho sun al
midday had till recently little interest for civilized
man. beyond the strange splendor OF the spectacie
itself the weird changes Of light and color IN inc
sky and landscape, the feeling of awe which 1t IN
spres in beholdors. and tho peculiar terrors which
il sometimes nllcts upon tho brute creation.
= PRESENT VAGUE OF ECLIPsEs.
But within few years total echpses OF the sun
have become occasions of the highest order OF I'M
portance. Their value consists in the special tciH
tes thew afford for revealing the constitution OF tho
sun. The indirect results of this Investigation
range over almost the whole field Of natural sci
ences and have already extended the amount OF abb
sol,te knowledge very widely. There is fair reason
to hope that a study of the sun will yet furnish
science of the earths atmOsphere-Of wind and ram
and temperature-as far superior to our present me-
teOrology rs the Signal Service reports are TO the
weather predictions of the old almanacs Inc chehi-
ist sees in this study prospect OF attaining real
knowledge of the combinations Of matter. Pre-
yiously he had learned only the facts OF his
science that. are close at hand. or causes
behind these he was comparatively ignorant.
Bodies combine because they do combine
aud they do not combine because they do not com
bne, and that is all we know about It," was the
dctum of the learned DR.. Gregory. for many years
Professor of Chemistry III the Edinburgh University
When, however it was demonstrated that much OF
the matter of the sun is Identical with that OF our
earth. new field of inquiry was thrown open.
There at the center of the planetary system, Is a
mighty laboratory with hotter fires than the chemist
had ever attained. There gases subjected to
such pressures as no apparatus c0uid ever furnish.
There experiments are conducted on scale so vast
that Imagination cannot grasp the details or con-
ceive the main facts. In single explosion pent-up
gases bursting ont rise to q hight OF more thah
twenty times the earths diameter Not alone
is the chemist called to witness these scenes. Tho
physicist, making the relations of force and matter
his special province, and bringing potent mahemat-
les to his aid is enabled to acquire notions OF the
energy of atoms in sun spot where whrlwiuds are
driving luminous vapOrs 80 miles in second. Inc
geologist Justly hopes to find in the itself chap
tiers Of the worlds history that were buried ages
ago beneath tho granite, before the molten masses
of the primitive rocks took solid form. Tho natu-
rast seeks in the sun a solution of tho questions
that he has long asked respecting the ordern which
different atmospheres successively covered the
EARTH until at length reptiles LETT their
| tracks on the Connecticut sandstone, bat-ike
| pterodactyls lowered in the air, and the amphoxus
eported IN the waters while no savant puzzled HIM
self over its deficiency of backbone. To the astron-
omer the study of the is essential since in 1t he
must find the history of all ether stars.
| PATH OF THE ECLIPSE.