Delaware gazette and state journal., 1884-01-24
The Assron@my of 1888.

esard-d as a very eventful one from an
astronomical poina of view, yet It has
seen some work done Of general interest
and some resul,s achieved that will tend
to materislly facilitate and advance
future researches into this science.
The most important celestial phenom,-
non Of the year was the total eclipse of
iha sun on May 9Th, memorable fret for
is duration-rnarly six minutes. The
greatest possibie duration OF total solar
eclipse ia ss7en minutes, IS seconds.
The eclipse Of Msy lsat will only be ex
ceedsd, in this respect, oncs during ,h-
present esntur ury-on August 18th, 1856
when the sun will be hidden from the
iphsbitapts OF westsrn Africa for the
length of six minutes, 81 seconds.
Great preparations had been made for
Studying the phenomena connected with
the eclipse Of last year and observers
we're sent out to Caroline Island from the
United States, France, England, Austria
and l:aly. The principal objects in view
were the examination OF the solar corona
and the verihcstion of the alleged
discovery of an lntrs .Msrcursl planet.
With regard to the former, which was
observed to extend viHbly to hight OF
twodiamsters of thesn q, ,722. 600 miles)
above his surface, DR.. Hastings, Of
Baltimore, obtained pretty conclusive
proof that it consists of matter which
reflects sunlight, evidences strongly
corroborative Of the theory Of tie
meteorie character of at least the
outer part OF the ooronal light.
None OF tbs observerssay anything OF the
suspected planet Vulcan, and this mega
tive evidence lie regarded as almost con-
elusive proof that those who had pre-
viously claimed to have seen II must
have mistaken some fixed star therefor.
The object which one OF the French
astronomers, NJ. Trouvslot, imagined
might be Vulcan has since been shown
by Professor Holden to have been the
Itar Alpha Arietis. Some valuable pho
iogrsphs we're secured during totality.
The frequent and extraordinary spots
tnd groups of spots which appeared on
he surface Of the sun during the year
we're studied with great interes, by all
the famous celidographets, among whom
there ia considerable diversity Of opinion
as to what inhusncs, II any, ths now we'll
established periods of maxims and
minima Of these spots exert upon ,he
climates and msteorology Of the earth
Most noteworthy among these phenomens
was an Immense spot seen during April,
which covered an area OF upwards o.
45i 900, 600 square miles OF the solar
s1riaee. Such spot represents a circle
OF nearly Is 600 miles in diameter, oven
three iim=s the diameter Of our earth
Sun spots OF over 40, Ooo miles in diamete
have, however, been observed
Another subject Of interest connected
with the sun has been the Identification
Of certain line in ita spec.rum with
line in the apscua OF certain Vesuviai
layaa. This discovery was made b,
Professor Pslinieri, an Italian physical
during the past year. The exiatenc. c
this liIe had not bsen previously know
in any terrestrial substsnce, and the uu
known solsr srbstaree by which IT Wa
caused had been designated aa "helium.
The discovery of Professor Palnieri put
IA in the way of eventually finding on
what "helum" really ia.
Two comets were discovered dntln
1888, both by American astronomer
The first, an unimportaut little fellow
! was ssen on February 231, by Professor
Brooke aud SRiit; the eecjnd, disoovere
by Professor Brooks on September 2i ,hs
been identified with the Pons comet
1872, and Ia the one now visible to th
: naked eye, It ia noF in the constellatio
Plsces and may bs found, between . an
+ o'clock on clear evening, little
the southward OF & line drawn from th
planet Venus tthe brilliant "eveniu
star" which shines ont in the wei
aoon after sunsetJ to the zenith an
. about midway in the altitude from Vent
to the zenith. /! Ia readily distinguish
> able from the stare, at first glance, by il
miaty appearance and an attentive gai
u will enable a moderately sharp-sightt
person to tracs its tail, which points u
2 ward, for distance Of several degrees.
Three new II inor planets have b4t
- added during The year to the alreaC
. long liat Of thes' little bodies, the know
e member of who h now amounts to %
u only one Of these, Vesta, is ever visib
Il TO the naked ey q and there ia little u
OF any one try ing To see it unless
Il knows precisely where and when to leo
e In come ,tion with stellar photograph
II the CROWN ng achievement Of ths year
the aupsi' b photograph OF the gre
nebula in Orion, obtained by N
Common, sn English astronomer, wi
" his large rejecting telescope OF 81 inch
aperture on January 3oh. Thia nebu
was Fret successfully photographed
- the iste Professor Henry Draper
. Ha Atings- on Hudson, Nav York,
{.
1t The proverb death loves shini
1t mark" has beeh exempliied With pai
A. ful frequency in our little State duri
N the past week. Within seven days fo
of men long and well known throughC
IN the State--Jndge Bradford, ex Count
n. man Psynter, ex-Prothonotary Beast
,ot and John Stockley-have been call
eel away. Perhaps they have all met a
d; renewed their acquaintance in anotl
ma. world and that, If We could look into Il
Of other lie, We might ind that the grief
al parting here ia more than offaet by
in Joys Of welcoming tbers.
------~r---<s-
noon NOTICES..
nf FOLKLORE OF sHAKtsPEARE, by the Il