The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-05-14
A TOTAL ECLIPSE.
\ SPECTACULAR DRAMA IN PkHFARA'
TON I'm THE HIGH HEAVENS.

.,The suns eye had sickly glare. '-lCampbeil'
We are indebted to the chief signal officer oil
she army for an elaborate and exhaustive paper
on the prospect Of favorable weather conditions
mt sixty-seven places and stations nllleaty
posts. etc. In and near the path OF totally OF
the coming eclipse. Some idea OF Inc iaoor
necessary In the preparation Of this paper may
be gathered from the fact that the weather
records for each place have been examined Tor
periods ranging from one TO ten years pacR
sometimes more and from these examiDatons
the average number OF unfavorable days occur
ring in July has been computed. and hnaily
from this has been deduced the percentage OF
chances OF favorable weather ut each place az
that time of the year. II is fortunate, too, That
the paper has been prepared 80 early; for this
timely notice gives to scientific men an oppor-
tunity to select favorable or convenient To-
Guilty long beforehand. and to make all other
necessary preparations Ia tho most elaborate
manner.
From this paper we have condensed the fol-
lowing data concerning the solar eclipse an
nounced for the twenty ninth of July next:
Concerning the causes which produce IN
eclipse OF the sun or moon the following. con
s,ensed from the valuable work Of Guilemin
on THE Heavens" will give very good Idea,
The orbit of the moon Is situated In plane
which makes, with the plane Of the terrestrial
orbit certain angle. nearly constant. 1t FOL
lows that half Of the monthly revolution OF the
moon round the earth Is effected above this lat
ter plane, and the other half belolc 1t. Conse-
aueutly the moon passes through the eciptic
twice every lunation. The positions which the
moon occupies during these passages through
the ecliptic are called the Nodes. One is called
the ascending node. and the other the descend
ing node IL the nodes remained invariabe In
their relative positions with regard to the sun.
one OF two things would happen-either there
would be no eelipses at all or there would be
two each lunar month. But the nodes are dis
placed from ons lunatlon to another: and 1t is
easy to comprehend that an eclipse will take
plaee every time the nodes coincide. or
nearly coincide. with the phases of the
full md the new moon. that Is with the
spzygies, as they are called. As the moon
is much smaller than the sun. 1t will be readily
understood that 1t ID Its small relative distance
which causes its disc to appear of equal and
even OF greater Dimensions than that Of the
sun. This distance varies by reason Of the ell
Iiptical form of the orbits, and hence the ap-
parent size Of the moon, rs compared with that
of the sun. is sometimes larger. sometimes
smaller than and sometimes equal TO- that of
the sun. This is the same as saying that If. at
the middle phase of the eclipse, the moons
disc is not large enough to hide the whole face
Of the sun. the shadow Of the moon will not
then be long enough to reach the earth. and the
result will be an annMar eclipse; because ring
of the suns disc will be visible round the disc
Of the moon. But II Mt the middle phase OF the
eclipse the moon hides the whole face Of the
sun, then the moons shadow will reach, the
earth and the eclipse will be total In the shad-
Dw or unlbrd and partial In penumbra.
To produce total eclipse of the sun. then:
1. The moon must be in conjunction. 1. O.. new
moon .,.,
3. Her distance from the earth must be less
than the length of her shadow, or umlga.
.,Of the ADVANTAGES to be- derived by the scien-
eclipse, especially total one, 1t is scarcely
necessary to say much In necessarily brief
What adds to their importance when they do
come land we have had but seven or eight since
1906 Ia that the total obscurity in total eclipse
sible duration In this latitude being but about
six minutes. In that brief space observations
are made which have started the question
whether the moon has an atmosphere: Also
whether or not the sun has not an atmosphere
OF vast vertical height. q question caused by the
various appearances and changing colors OF the
the various questions concerning the promi-
nences or protuberances once supposed to be-
long to the moon. but now believed TO belong to
the sun. as proved by De La Hue; and various
more important problems relating to the
physical constitution and construction and ar
rangement OF the constituent parts OF the sun
Its nucleus. chrOmOsphere. etc.
A total eclipse of the sun Is magnificent and
solemn spectacle: Arago thus describes the at
fitua..o Of an entire population of q city while
observing one:
I'm the moment which preceded totality
when the Sun, reduced to a narrow thread. began
to throw on our horizon but very feeble light
sort OF inuuetude seized upon every one; each
felt the desire to communicate his impressions
to those by whom he was surrounded. Hence q
dull roar like that of the sea after tempest
The uproar became stronger as the solar cres.
cent diminished. Tho crescent disappeared al
last darkness supervened. and an absolute
silence pervaded the multitude,
1.-THE magnifcence OF the eclipse tr1umpheC
over the petulnnce OF youth; over that careless
air which Is intended to pass for superiority
sumeI by soldiers. A profound calm reignet
In the air; the birds ceased to sing.
After solemn waiting of about two minutes
plaud fH greeted the apparently triumphan
temperance of the king of day
After having thus seen one IT, It Is easy to M II;
derstand Mton's expression. Disastrous IWi
light" In the following:
-"Thro' the misty air
Shorn Of his beams. or from behind tho moon.
In dim eclipse, disastrous twilight sheds
On half the nations"
And to appreciate Southey's beautiful lines
Tho twilight CLEAN dilates,
The sun comes forth and like q god
Rides thro' rejoicing heavenp'
But returning to our subject. viz: the comm
eclipse. 1t appears from the data Inc osed b
the chief signal officer that there are eight sta
lions In Louisiana situated either within 0
hs p sana al s sesy at
where the records have been examined for to-
months (of july disclosing the fact that the De
centage of unfavorable days In July is 12.f
from which 1t is deduced that the chances c
having weather favorable for observing tn
eclipse at that point amount to So per cent
o. The army military post at Baton Rouge, la
80 deg 80 min. aud long. 81 deg. min. wheI
the percentage of uufavorahle days In July
found to be 90. and the chances Of weatht
favorable for observing the eclipse 6s per cen
This station, like the preceding one. is near tn
path of totality.
5. Olive Branch. La. Formerly. from tn
point voluntary observer used to forward b
observations to. the chief signal officer Oil,
Branch 10 Ia the path Of tot;ity, LAT. q deg
above mean sea level is feet. The percentage
chances for this point have not been calculate
4. The voluntary observer at New Orlean
whose Office is situated In lat. 80 deg.
min, and long. 90 deg. 8 min.. Is ne
the path of totality. The per cen
,,f ,eht do at Ia taft q