The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-29
To-Dny's Eclipse of the sun.

II the weather gives us a clear sky we
shall get this afternoon. between about
fOrty-scven minutes after four and
thirty-thrce minutes after six. view OF the
sun in partial eclipse. Along Il belt Of coun-
try about llG miles wide. however, and cx-
tending from Behring's Straits to the Cult
OF Mexico, the eclipse will be total.
The centre Of this belt pas-cs through
Alaska, turns southcastward through the
British possessions. crosses the northern
boundary of the United States In longitude
80 west from Washington, and runs north
ofSalt Lake City and II III lc south Of Den.
Yer into the Gulf of Mexico, between Gal
weston and New Orleans. OF course the pro-
portion Of the suns disk ohscured by the
moon will depend on the distance of the
observer from this belt. About o-thIrds Of
it will be cut of at New York, where the
eclipse reaches its complctest phase.
This will be the last total eclipse Of the
sun which will DO seen on this continent
during the present century, and therefore
extensive preparations have been made to
observe IL scientifically. Congress appro-
priatcd eight thousand dollars to pay the
expenses OF five expeditions which have
been sent out for this purpose from the
Naval Observatory at Washington. The
observers have established themselves at
different points on the belt in which the
total eclipse will be visibc-in Wyoming.
Colorado, and Texas, along the region of
country where the central line crosses the
Union Pacific Railroad and the Denver and
Rio Grandc Railroad. There are also soy
eral European observers at desirable points,
and some Of our colleges are represented at
Denver and Pixies Peak, while at Rawlins
Prof. HENRY DRAPER of New York has made
elaborate preparations for studying the
phenomena Of the eclipse. He is assisted
by the now famous Mr.. EDISON, and has set
up four telescopes, besides photograph APP
paratus and spectroscopcs.
These observers have set to themselves
different tasks one party, the dctcrmna-
ton Of the times when the contacts of the
moons shadow take place so as to get,
what Is much nccdcd--data which will give
us Il more accurate knowledge of the moon :
motion; another, the shape and extent Of
the corona aud rrotuberances- luminous
ring with tongues of flame shooting from it
visible during such an eclipse; another,
the character of the corona and its compo-
sllioni ana sun another, search for the
planets which LIE NTRRIER declared exist
between Mercury and the sun.
The main subject for investigation will be
the corona, about which Il great deal has
been learned from the study Of ecipscs
during the last ten years but in regard t.
which there Is still much doubt and discus
sion. If the observers got the fair view Of
the eclipse for which they hope they may
settle some Of the most important points
yet raised in solar physics.
Ordinary people can easily got n satisfac-
tory sight Of the eclipse, if the clouds dc
not Interfere All that is necessary Is to
procure a piece Of smoked on colorcd glass
to look through and NJ about q quarter Of
five turn yonr gaze toward tho lower right
hand quarter Of the disk OF tho lumiuary
The shadow Of tho moon thoro beginning
will slowly extend over three-ifths or two
| thirds ~ the apparent surface of the sun
Il the glass is smoked, graduate the shade
from one end To- the other so that you car
chopse at the moment that particular de
gree Of smoky density which permits the
host view Of the otherwise dazzling object
In the Interests Of science it is TO be hoped
That the afternoon will be a cloIdless one