Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-12-30

Of the central orb ~ our system
which, when intelligently done, serv
10 prove former theories and to forml
late new ones regarding the movement
ofthe heavenly bodies. In this iDstanc
the central line Of totality appears fir
In North America, AT Point ArenH
Cal, distant ahmut one hundred mile
north OF San Francisco; the shadov
thence passes through nortbw esterI
Cslifnrnis, northern Nevada, southern
Idaho, the Yellowstone Park, south
eastern Montana, northwestern Dako'
ia aud Manitoba. AT the point Of i'm.
plngement on the California coast
the width Of the belt of total ohscurs,
ton IL 96 miles, or as miles on each
side, northwest and southea-t) Of the
central line; this width gradually Ia
pers Off its course over the states
and territories named, being but 6d
miles wide I'm Montana, and gradually
losing itseltin Northern British Amer
lea. The central line Of totaliiy IL
found at Red Lodge, Dilwortb, How.
ard, Forsyth and thence over the
country north of the Yellowstone,
where there are no localities by which
10 designate it, covering Fort Buford
aud Little Muddy in Dskota, and
Brandon and Gladstone In Manitoba.
A. nearly as can be calculated the cen.
trail line for this vicinity will be about
the headwaters of Sunday creek, ana
as the belt Of totally IL GO miles wide
or 80 miles on each side of the GENITAL
line, it will be seen that Miles City IL
fully within the shadow Of totslity and
will experience the novel spectacle OF
a total eclipse Of the sun. The durs
tion Of the eclipse in this vicinity will
be about two hours, beginning at
about . o'clock in the afternoon and
ending ten or fifteen minutes before
4 O'Clock, the period of total obseiva-
ton will however be very short, last
ing less than one minute and occurring
about 8 o'clock.
Prof, David z. Todd, OF Amherst
college observatory, In an Interesting
pamphlet relative TO this eclipse, ba.
set forth the general features which
will characterize the eclipse from
Inch we quote:
just before the time indicated for
total ob-curstion, the suns light will
have been nearly shut off by the ad.
vancing moon, and 10 will have become |
quite dark. The only part Of the sun
will have the form of q crescent,
the ends Of which will rapidly ap.
proach each other as the crescent be-
comes thin3er and thinner.
Immediately after the crescent has
vanished, total eclipse will begin and
the luminous appeDdage Of the sun,
the corona, will become visible,
Its figure will be very irregular aud
its light very mild,-in some parts
near the edge Of the 400 IL nav ap-
pear quite dazzling, while In other
parts II will be extremely faint, ami
the streamers or filaments will appear
to have no definite limit. -
This halo, or corona, a be 81
only during q total eclipse, and
never looks twice alike.
In addition TO the mild while liz
OF the corona, there may also be seen \
few points Of more brilliant light, but
Of a reddish tinge, appearing close to
the edge OF the moon. w. Me
solar protuberances, at}
advantageously obserN th
astronomical instN The
observer Iced not make AN d Of
these.
In the abeence OF astronomical APP
psratus, observations In this locality
will Lsye to he made in the old-fash-
toned with smoked glass,
which should be prepared e. follows:
Take a small pane Of window glass
and hold IL over the flame of a lamp or
candle until a black film IL deposited
on It. II possible II should be smoked
so that the tint will be so dense at n
end that the full light Of the sun setn
through it will dazzle the eye; while
AZ the ether the film should be so thin
that objects In au ordinarily lighted
room mas be seen distinctly through
it. Smoke the glass a. evenly ~ pos
stble from one end to the other. Past"
a narrow strip OF thick paper across
each end Of the glass, on the smoked
side, aud lay Oh it a sheet of glass OF
the same size. Then secure the two
sheets together by q strip of paper
lasted around The edges Of both plates.
The smoking from dense to thin will
enable the observer to view the eclipse
at all its stages without binding the
eyes.
While no scientific observations viii
be attempted here, IL Ia understood
that a small party Of gentlemen viii
attempt to secure photographs of ole
Sol 10 his various phases Of eclipse
which. If successful will nc doubt b'
interesting memeutoes Of the occasion
GIoriuu, Opportunity