Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1880-01-13

observations by h Geological
&mryRK.

survey.
The meteorological indications having
resulted, as we predicated in Sundays
issue. in clear, favorable weather. we are
enabled to furnish our readers with COM
plete memoranda Of the eclipse, as observed
in Eureka by the members Of the United
States Geological Survey. The station Sc
lected was at a point near the water reser-
voir, west Of town. A station on the ridge
east would have afforded q longer view, but
as the time Of greatest observation was OBJ
served at the station selected the latter was
quite as good, a~stronomically speaking, as
any. For after the time Of greatest obscu-
ration the only observation of any impor-
lance remaining is that Of the end Of the
eclipse, for determining its length.
The first land which the shadow touched
was the coast Of California, but at such a
late hour that even there the sun set par
TALLY eclipsed. The time of beginning
grew later as the stations were more to the
east, till, at a point near the center Of Da-
kotah Territory, it began at sunset. The
fact that the end Of the eclipse was not
visible explains why it has been so little
noticed by the astronomers OF the Eastern
States.
The time Of first contact for Eureka was
2b Sm l5s P. NJ. local time, ass earlier than
predicted. This discrepancy is accounted
Tor by the fact that our longitude has not
yet been accurately determined. The moon
brst touched the suns die at a point 334
degrees to the right Of the lowest point,
and passed off in a direction at an angle Of
40 degrees to the suns vertical, diameter.
For the pnrpose Of measuring tae amount
Of an eclipse, astronomers divide the suns
diameter into twelve equal parts. called
digits; the number of digits covered
by the moon expresses the extent Of obscu-
ration. Thus, the extent of yesterdays
eclipse was 9f digifs, a little more than
three fourths of the solar diameter. The
time of greatest obscnratiou was at 4:19,
and it lasted 35 seconds. 1t vas at this time
that the above measurement. 9h digits,
was taken.
In u previous article on the eclipse,
want of space compelled us to omit a men
ton of several striking features Of a total
eclipse. These are the corona, the lumi-
nous streamers, and the rose colored pro-
tuberances.
The corona is a ring or halo of white
light encircling the sun during the time
of totality. IL is brightest at the dark
limb OF the moon where it has a rosy tint,
gradually decreasing in luster till it be-
comes indisiinguishable from the faint gen.
ersl illumination Of the sky. For a dis
lance of about 400, 900 miles it appears
continuous, then it radiates; its extreme
length being equal to the suns diameter;
that is, $4,000 miles. These numbers
are from the total eclipses of 1853 and 1860.
The observations of the eclipse of 1878 has
the fact that the corona is re-
fected light.
The luminous streamers are also reflected
light, and are probably a part of the cor
ona. They are broad, separate bands of
light, extending mnch further than the
In the eclipse OF 1860 four Of
these streamers were seen, symmetrically
disposed around the suns perimeter. They
extended to a distance of nearly two mil
lion miles.
most beautiful appearances seen during
total solar eclipses. Apparently they are
masses of various forms and sizes
inst within the dark limb of the moon.
In some instances they have been seen
entirely detached from it. They are evil
IDENTIFY connected with the sun, for it has
been observed that during totality those
in front OF the moon grow shorter, while
those behind grow longer. The promi-
nences have been seen to extend SEVENTY,
and even a hundred thousand miles from
the sun.
The appearance Of the heavens during
is grand beyond expression. A
large, round, black mass, suspended in
mid heaven, shaded off by a beautiful ROSY
tint into the subdued white light of the
corona, and the whole in a blue back
ground, magnifcently studded with bright
stars that have appeared as if by magic.
The rosy prominences are supposed to
be burning masses Of hydrogen, elected
from the solar surface. Imagine the force
to project them to the distance
OF one hundred thousand miles | 1t has
long been the pet problem of spectrocopists
to cause them to appear at will. The prob
lem has recently been solved. and now the
observer can cut off the suns light so effect
as to study these beautiful appear
ances at any time. Their size and shape
change, sometimes with inconceivable rap
idity, and sometimes so slowly as to be per-
ceived only after a days observation. On
one occasion, a protuberance was seen to
out from the suns surface, and at
tain a distance Of ninety thousand miles
in a few minutes | What an exhibition Of
power
The more we intelligently study Nature
the more evidence we find of Gods mighty
and resistless power, and the more puny
insignificant seem man and all his
works. Astronomy, of all sciences, is the
most eminently calculated to demonstrate
to the human mind the v~astness and i'm
of the works Of the Divine First