New-York tribune., 1880-02-29
TIE SOLAR. ECLIPSE.
rur nrcrpuAr1nNs IN CALIFORNIA.

TIE SOLAR, ECLIPSE.
THE OBSERVATIONS IN CALIFORNIA.
| MR. pAyIDsONs PRTIIMINARY REPoRI-sAIisfA'
TORY OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES sun SPOTS AND ihh
MAINTAINS OF THE MOON WELL DEFINED-THE
CORONA IN THE FORM OF PARAILELoGRAM'
Mr. George Davidson, of the United states Oo"st
and Geodetic Survey. has made preliminary Iepoi'
relative to the solar eclipse on January H. "s oO
served at Santa Lucia, Cal Santa Lucia WAS 'c
cod nc the hest point for observations because u
was almost exactly on the central line OF totahty'
and becanse of its elevation above the sea The IN
strnments. including SIX telescopes, used by MI
Davidson and his fellow observers. were nearly III
nos;tion when a violent southwest Storm accOmpa-
MED nv rain scet and snow and very low tempera-
ures visited the coast The storm, however, ceaseu
on the afternoon of January 10. On the lIth, saSs
| Mr. Davidson. the day was very clear, the athoS-
uhere steady the wind moderately strong from the
north and the temperature gradually rislhg lroIn
| 15o 10 about 2so low band of clouds about 80
high lav on the ocean horizon all day. Continuing
| his report Mr.. Davidson says:
The pap Of operations was determine the epochs OF
the four contacts to sketch the corona and TO look io
Vucanites. We have observed the four contacts ana
sketched the corona the brighter circle coDcenrlc VIII"
the sun and the flames. Before the first contact lhe
suns limb was very sharp and steady, VITA Occasou'
shverings but exhibiting no spurious DISC such as
would appear from great atmospheric disturbance
The three groups OF sunspo,s aud their pecular1ue'
ana even changes Of detail. constantly well de-
fined The "rce" motling OF the hole sums disc was
distinctly made ont In all telescopes and the con
formation OF The faculG family traced Using SOAR
eve piece and high power obtained the first contact
earlier than the other Observers but was observed ny
ALL The epoch OF observed contact is within stcohn
of time OF the prediction The transit OF the moons disc
ttq unhge IA
During the progress toward totally called the OBJ
seryers attention to tho fact that there was rercep
BILE difference the darkness OF the sky or background
adjacent TO the suns disc yet unohscured, compared
with that Immediately adjacent and covered by the
moons disc projecting beyond the suns disc And yet
DO one Of able to perceive the moons DISC ap-
preaching the sun before first contact.
In watching and studying suns cusps. their points
were remarkably except at those times when the
atmospheric disturbance increased 20 as 10 create the
slight shyerings" OF the outline or OF the spots then
the fire points OF the cusp duplicated apparently
at greater less distance apart This was recorded
and drawn by Assistant Colonna and myself With cN-
ccssve atmo pherIc disturbance this apparent motion
would have increased aud the points would have been
seen obtuse aud blurred On the moons limb and espe-
cay and the ousps. the mountains OF the moon
projecting beyond Its general outline were plainly Nsl-
bic, and noted breaking the circular outline OF the
disc and similar inequalities could be traced through.
out its whole extent Toward totalty a few cirrus
clouds formed tine line Of the sun aud the atmospheric
disturbance was at tunes Increased
As toialiy rapidly approached the crescent OF sun
light was remarkably narrow and long, on account Of
the slight difference OF dameters Of the and moon
The last line OF light from 500 TO 40o IN length be
fore II broke But the exhibited distortion
from atmOs pierre disturbances, ana no wayy move
ment except occasionally that slight atmospheric dts
tnrIanco which | have designated "shi vering" aud
which times IN our geodetic ooseryaton-- Inc
cusIs were remarkably sharp WIN cur poiSr a. -
cut by the finest graVer The breaking Oi thi- extended
curved Of ight on accoun. of the lunar IN
cquaiues OF outiue ana presented 'h' hp~hilh' oI
line OF irregular dots ddshcs ana spaces Ihcic Was
no wayy motion 10 occasion this appearance whenever
one point disappeared was gone for good dd not
the c0iorcl glass IN observing ihis phenomeuon
s had douc in 500 IN Alaska) necnuso wished 10
pre,.rye my eyes any possible NuicaLitc But saw
al once IN account OF the contracted diameter ~
IL @ ,U my my mon "o 49,, ,,r ana e1ent ~ The
red lWes and the first circle OF bright 1ght around I'd"
sun, whilst others sketehed tue coropa' There wa
brilliant ROD hane just 10 we Ieit y 'he su hi'a
the suns circumference bOrdcrcd by renafkdny
brilliant and continuous line OF red flames The
trc circle Of bright white light around me sun very
striking. Sub Assistant Dckins noted ana skctcheo
second but fainter cOucenric circle. Tho corona had
the general form OF parallelogram. with the angles
prolonged III the direction Of the longer sidc-, aud
stretched al an angle of about 30 WIN ihe NtTLchum
the upper left to the lower right II the sun The out
lines aud raj features Of the corona are quite con
sstent among the On rent skctc-es ana III anilon 10
the originals l shall have colored special sketch
FOR my report. Assistants Gilbert aud Colonna obtained
the third contact or he ehdinE OF tOuly' lhe W'al
phnsc lasted about thirty secouds.
The fourth contact observed WIN the sun cstl-
mated al about IA above the horizon, aud lmWeatcY
he clouds. The OF the horizon
10 l2lg. Here the atmosphere was rcmarahhly dis
turhcd unsteady and the limbs or the sun ana moon
moved great rapid waves 50 that It was next to i'm
possible note m the smaller telescopes when the moon
left the This epoch observed by myself later
than IL was by the Othcr- but with no sati-factio, eN
cent as being approximately close. The sun set about
eleven minutes later. Observations for temperature
were made during the progress Of the eclipse, ana also
with the thermometer Tor solar radiation, which t
from Gs7 TO 2so Fahrenheit at tOtality.
Jupiter aud Mars were seen by The observers several
init ufffc he fOTe
server. Before totally all saw the shadow Of the
eclipse coming the ocean, and amer tOialty TIE
shade Of the observed against the sky over the
eastern mountains. but the shadow on the mountains
themselves could not be made oui on account o thc dm
lighi. tie sun being on the horizon behind clouds
Tbis eclipse is another confirmation ~ the theory that
the exhibition o Baly- beads, the ltgamrut ana b.uck
drop the tr,nsts Oi Mercury and venus the hanSu
OF a cOOred the moons bright dlek nj Occulia-
tion aud similar phenomena, are the cOnst quenccs OF
afuosphcric disturbances tsioued 10y trcguilt's,
etc Oi reiractiOu TINS view has been strongly contfo
ycrted but have analOi phenomena cNhluluu
G.oietc Survey. At high elevations aui during . re-
uarkay steady atmosphere at etcydtiOn, ali these
abnormal conditions vanish.
Az spectacle this eclipse In respects exceeded,
and IN Otnefs Inferior, 10 that which / observed
Auaust T. 1869, Alaska Here the red flames md inc
inner circle Of white light perfectly lOrious, and
the corona more brilliant nut the dsc OF the moan did
stand out with that fun blacKDess aud pcr-pcclc
Eject which was seen on the Chkaht Ihcsky at Sduia
Lucia was much brighter, uu account Ol thc Ic4hllNr
eIuallncss Of the of shade. The shadow upon the
surface a poorly defined brown area; N the
valley Of the Chkat tIc OF The SHADOW on the
mountain auks and slow gorges was more distinct ana
striking.
LADr S VIEWS on EDUCATION.