New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-11-08

faint and strong lights from different parts OF the
zone reach every part of the hemisphere OF the
moon turned earthward. The different degrees OF
illumination of the moons orb when totally I'M
m.rsed in the earth's shadow must find then some
other explanation. A uniform graduation OF the
hight might be thus explained, but not irregular
diversitles such as are actually observed.
The peculiarly in question led Mr.. Russell.
tho aIle heal of the Government Observatory at
Sydney, to entertain the idea that lunar auroras
light up different parts of the moons surface with
ruddy hight of their own, and SO produce varieties
of illumination The theory is quite unnecessary.
We see the moon the time of total eclipse by red
light and as the moons surface is surface of rock.
and IA diverse in color the sur'aceoi terrestrial
continent it was to he expected that the varieties OF
apparent illumination would he different under
light of a ruddy color than under the composite
Ucbt of all the coors of the rainbow which we call
| white light ANY one who has ever observed the
moon telescopcally through one of the colofed
glasses used TO protect the eve in solar observation
| will know that the various parts of her surface ny
no means present the same degrees of relative iu-
! mutation as when no such glasses are used
| The same is shown also by photographs oi
the moon which may be regarded az pictures oi inc
moon seen by means of the blue, indigo and violet
parts of the light from her; IN these az every one
|
with elescopc view, the relative strengths of the
| light from different parts are markedly changed.
The ray system from 1ycho for example, which 10
so striking feature in telescope view of the full
MOON Is not nearly 50 well seen in n photograph
The circumstance that some total eclipses of the
unpn are darn and some not IL worth con sdriine.
The eclipse If urtuhpf !, though darker than ANY
observed ihis century. was bV 40 means 81 'lhih ~
spveial total lunar eclipse when me- ~ iu'ut,i
| Thus lui ii,e the rprsns ~ jhhe 10, lORo we
utnnu was a,ioapihri invisible Though sihis neai
he, ~ ,hn hfih magnitude were ven stnh 80
salne Nas The case 'hihs ~" na''l'an ~ hlnn nv,
ninnn ueall az huiii With a leesro ~, dtiihH 'hr
eohpse 81 May ~, i7dl, bat not trace ~ any
PARTON Of her dice could be niseeih"H' TN thn
other hand ne iuddy hight OF the ln"on IL some
Times exceptionally brilliant when s'n rch
totally IN "er'ea' i" the ,'' Mr 81 seen ""', as
on an ordinary dull moonlight night, ana
many persons could not be persuaded that she WAS
| eclIpscd AT all.
If the arr il perfectly transparent over the whole
of the zone about eighty miles broad whose meilai
line is the border circle between the illuminated ana
the dark halves OF the earth at the tlme OF iola,
eclipse the must receive Il great deal oil llght
at that time, especially II near her apogee or point
of greatest distance from the earth. On the other
hand If thcroarc cOdds over the whole or nearly 'nc
whole of that zone she would get no light at All or
so little that her surface would not be dlscerniblc-
especially if she were near perigee AS size was Oh
| October i. - -
There is an odd mistake in The 1im,ss account OF
| the recent eclipse. From the darkness OF the
| shadow it seems probable that the part OF the at
mosphere through which the solar rays had to pass
was tolcraby free from vapor. thus causing aps"fp-
ton of the red rays" If the air had been Tree from
| vapor there would have been no absorption oi the
blue and violet rays ana therefore the hsht would
not nave been red, IL Is when the blue ana violet
rays are absorbed. But absence of vapor does not
cause absorption of the red rays. neither can IT
possibly xPain the da. kness OF the moon during
| the recent eclipse. On the contrary, That showed
there was abundant vapor, and much cloud over
the zone past which the suns light hau to pass
This zone NAV he divided INTO the hall over winch
the sun was rising and the half oven winch he was
setting. From IA little computation when nave
made | find that the half over which the sun was
rising at the time of mid-ecllpsc had Tor us mcdiah
line a track lying almost wholly along the ocean:
VIZ from the Antarctic Seas raStp tle NortnW e.,
| Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhot>k. he hali
over which the was setting ran across the east
ern parts of British America. ther e across the
| North Atlantic South America ana the Nouth AT
iantIc. very considerable portion OF tile zone OF
| atmosphere through which the suns rays were then
passing Law over the ocean. 10 would be interesting
| to learn fir III meteorological stations on land and
from the logs ships at sea, the actual condition OF
the atmosphere along this zone AT the time OF md
totality during the recent eclipse. - .
To the mistakes above touched on may he ADDED
| a very strange one i'll Jules Nernes Voyage from
the Earth to the Moon" In that book. IN when are
more odd plumbers than III most Ian, HUI works
| of the kind we are told that from the moon
during II total eclipse. the earth looks Ike black
| snot on the suns fac Knowing that she cannot
hide the sun al that time Verne manifeSty supposeS
that the effect OF atmospheric reiractOn Is To- MAKE
the earth look smaller than the san. In reality, OF
course, the earth Is not reduced IN appuent SIZE,
hit rather enlarged. The sun Is brought INTO view
all round the large disc of the earth thirteen ana
half times large the moon looks 10 us III the
form of exceedingly line clrcula ring OF ruddy
light. \ Ted-hOt WE ring ward III diameter seen
at distance of about tweutY sevrn wards, on dark
| night would look very much IS the sun would look
to uuaIiaus the neon II such there were. at the
! time OF what We call a total lunar eclipse
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