Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-06-11


The moon, like the sun, shines, or
In this ease ceases to shine, for all,
and embraces in its kind attentions all
of these United States. 1t knows no
north, no south, no east, no west
none to speak Of, but it covers them
all in midnight darkness. The people
of this country, irrespective Of race,
color or previous condition Of servl-
tude, Will unite in watching this
eclipse. What a grand colossal, pyra,;
midal idea. The whole nation united
AS one man. animated with one pur-
nose. staring with eighty millions OF
eyes at a dark spot in the sky. 1t is
immense. $50, :,
Coming down to the fat bed rock
and hard pau of science, certain i'm
portant matters are to be considered.
Whether you can see it or not, the
earth is endowed with a fancy tail, Just
like that of a comet, which dawdles
some nine hundred and twenty-eight
thousand miles out into space. This
| tail goes smashing around in a dlrec-
ton opposite the sun and is actuated
by a desire to annihilate something.
| Happily the tail is a very brief affair,
and sizzles out to a pencil point long
before it reaches anywhere in particu-
lar. The only object subject to its
action is this same moon, and the lat
ter gets hit in the face by this ghostly
tail about four times a year.
THIS WOULD NOT HAPPEN
if the noon was at all regular in its
habits. Unfortunately the moon was
not started rightly in life, aud, with
the best intentions in the world, il
goes wagging and staggering around
the sky, now up, now down, tripping
every once in a while over this shad-
owy tail, and getting any Rumber Of
black eyes. Just where the moon
likes to frolic the tail or shadow Of
this globe is thick, two and a third
times the diameter of the moon, and
sometimes Luna gets so mixed as ia
sink completely into the shady gutter
thus provided there to snooze an
hour or so and collect its scattered
senses. This snoOze is called a total
eclipse, or failure, of the moon.
At ten minutes and thirty seconds
past eleven, New Orleans time, the
moon will be seen somewhat beiogged
and carried away with penumbra-a
celestial malady. A half a minute
later the defect will appear upon tbs
side Of the moon toward the east, a
little above a line drawn horizontally
through the center of the satellite.
This is the beginning of the eclipse,
The astronomer describes the part Of
the show graphically as follows:
As the shadow comes on it is. at the
beginning a mere patch of darkness.
1t does not eat sharply into the disc
of the eclipsed body, as is the case in
a solar eclipse, but vaguely, roughly,
and more like a cloud, and yet show
ing plainly enough the roundness OIL
the earth shadow. After a little the
ohscured disc becomes delicately tint
ed, the shadow seems to be transpa-
rent, and the principal features of the
lunar surface are visible. AS the
eclipse approaches totality, a line, OF
rather a ribbon, Of blue lies between
the glowing crescent and the darkened
surface. When totality is reached
the reddish tint deepens, and the fea.
lures OF the moons surface become
more distinct, and the moon seems
"ENPURPLED WITH TINTs OF SUN.
SET"
To be more accurate, this is some
times the case. At other times the
moon is absolutely invisible. More
commonly its aspect lies midway be
tween. 1t is recorded that in thu
eclipse Of 1912, and also in that o.
1876, the moo could not be seen
The varying phenomena are attributed
to the conditions Of the lower STRAIT;
of the earth's atmosphere, sometimes
causing a great degree Of refractiOr
and sometimes almost none.
The shadow moves over the disc o
the moon in a direction seemingly
perpendicular to the horizontal axis
and it is not until it is in process o
leaving the disc that the observer
notes that the shadow has all alon,
preserved a dipping direction TOWARD
the southwest.
In conclusion it is we'll to remem
Der that these exhibitions of tota
eclipse come only at intervals of nearl!
eighteen years, and those who have
chance should not fail to engage
reserve seat for this particular per
Torrance.