The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1878-07-28
THE ECLIPSE TOMORROW.
How to See II and The Time Interesting
Facts. -

How to See II and The Time nie restinu
Facts. rr
AS Cheyenne is one of the few spots
that will be favored with a view of the
total eclipse of the sun tomorrow, the
following is printed for reference. 1t
may be said here that the totality will
last about 3 minutes, commencing at
$40, local time.
PATH OF THE ECLIPSE.
During its progress the dark shadow
of the moon will first strike the earth
i'm the province Of Irkoutsk, Siberia, in
longitude 17o 80 minutes east of Green
witch, and latitude 54o514 minutes
norte. Its course will at FIRST be east
northeast, but will gradually change to
east, and, after leaving Asia, TO south
east. 1t will cross Behering Straits in
latitude 66e 40 minutes north, in an
easterly direction, pass a little north
east of Sitka, cross the British possess
ions toward the southeast, and enter
the United States in longitude $50 west
of Washington. In this country it will
Territory, the Yellowstone National
Park, Wyoming Territory, Denver,
Col, and Northern and Eastern Texas,
entering the Gulf of Mexico between
New Orleans and Galveston. 1t will
then pass over most of the island of Gu
ba and Southern San Domingo, and
leave the earth q little southeast of the
latter island. Within this country the
breadth of the shadow will be about 116
miles. The eclipse will be visible as a
partial one all over the United States,
Mexico and British America in the af-
ternoon. Tables and formula for COM
putting the times of the principal pbas-
err are found in the almanacs for 1873.
At all places on the central line of
the eclipse, the following phenomena
will be seen during during totally if
the sky is clear, viz: just as the SUMS
last ray fades out, some glowing points
of light will start into view, hanging
upon the edge of the black moon and
glistening like rubies, while surround
the whole will be seen a halo whose
mild radiance reminds the beholder of
the glories with which the painters of
old adorned the heads of saints. The
glowing points are the red prominences
and the halo is the corona, both of
which are 10 known to be solar ap-
pendages. The corona consists of a
comparatively bright inner part lying
close to the sun, surrounded by a mucl
fainter mass of luminous matter of vast
extent, and generally Of most irregular
form. Accurate drawings of it will be
exceedingly valuable. Portions of the
corona may probably be seen for a few
seconds both before and after the total
ity.
The moons shadow should he bor-
dered by the diffraction bands, and
some observers claim to have seen them
rs dark shadows flying over the
earth's surface Immediately before and
immediately after totality. Probably
they would be most visible from an em-
inence commanding an extensive land
scape, and it would be II matter of in
terest to look for them. AS the truth
of Leverrier's discovery of an apparent
ly unexplained motion of the ~perihelion
of Mercury is now established beyond
all doubt, it is important to renew the
search for an jntra-Mercurial planet or
planets. H
Those who are expert in sketching
may do good service by making adraw-
ing of the the corona surrounding the
moon during the total eclipse, as exact
us possible. In doing this it will be
necessary to distinguish between the
real objects and the rays surrounding,
which are the result of an optical illu-
sion. If the corona is very bright it
will be well to have at hand a colored
or smoked glass through which to study
the object, but the color must be very
light, else there will he danger of its
obscuring all details. Surrounding OBJ
oiuihni hShtcu iooui ouSut
70 be distinctly visible through It.
should such a glass be used the obser-
yer should make a careful comparison
OF the corona as seen through it with
the appearance it presents to the naked
eye. In making a pencil sketch it will
be best to reverse the color, the dark
lines of the pencil representing the
bright light Of the corona and the white
paper the dark background of the sNy.
INSTRUMENTS.
The only Indispensable Instrument is
1agood watch, providedtwith a second
hand, and having a white face.
The minute hand should be carefully
set 30 rs to be on an exact minute wien
the secondhand is at sixty seconds.
this being done it is no matter how far
wrong the watch may be. If the watch
has no secondhand it will be sufficient
to hold the watch to the car and count
the beats for five minutes and divide
the result by fve.5 IA good auxiliary
will be a common spy glass dashed to a
round post SO as to be steady enough to