Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-07-20
THE MOONS SHAME.
Bomsthing IntsFesting About the Tota
Eclipse Sunday Night.

somsthinE Intsresting About the Total
Eclipse Sunday Night.
Among local astronomers. and, In fact,
by the public generally. the total eclipse OF
the moon next Sunday night is being
awaited with profound interest. Mr..
Frank Bookwaiter Is making ample prepa-
ration to observe ct his private observatory,
the event being one of the greatest possible
interest and Importance. At all the uni
versities throughout the country obserya-
tions are to be made and records kept of the
duration and stages Of the eclipse.
The phenomenon will In general be a
repetition of that witnessed on January 2s
last, with the difference that the f0rthconi-
ing eclipse takes place near midnight,
while the former one was observable i'm
mediately after sunset, when the moon rose
hardly above the horizon. Another differ
ence for the expert observer will be that
the apparent path of the moon will be in
another part of the sky, bringing
A DIFFERENT SET OF STARS
into occultation. The coming Sunday
nights eclipse will be an exact repetition
OF that on July u, 1870. II the night is
clear II can be perfectly observed, and will
be IN object well worth the trouble of stay
ing up to see. The astronomer has the ad-
vantage this time of having the moon near
the meridian during the whole passage, and
can perform his work free from those dis
turbing conditions of the earth's atmos-
phere which attend observations of celes-
tial object near the horizon.
This time the moons path Is low In the
south. 80 that the best possible atmospheric
conditions will not be had. The following
table shows the duration and stages of the
eclipse q can be observed In this locality
Eclipse begins 9:55 p. m; total phase be-
gins 10:45 p. m; middle of eclipse IL As D.
M; total phase ends 1885 q. m; eclipse
ends 1:35 q NJ; duration of eclipse one
hour and forty-two minutes.
The position of the moon In It's orbit at
this time, with reference TO the earth, Is
somewhat more favorable for the observa-
tions to be made, the moon being more
DEEPLY IMMERSED IN THE EARTH's
SHADOW
now than In January. This slightly In
creases the duration of the totality, and,
what Ii more important intensiies the
darkness of the moons face.
1t Is frequent thing to observe partia
eelipses of the moon, but total eclipse
Is Q rare event, and Is impatiently await
ed by scientific men. The paths of the two
orbs will not be coincident In like manner
as on the two occasions Of the present year
for Q period Of many years. The develop
ment Of astronomical science In mod
ern times has been 30 great
that this infrequency Of total eolipses
has been 0 matter of no particular
regret among the learned, as what could be
gained to science therefrom has long ago
been put on record.
At the present time but two circum-
stances modify this dictum. and tht Sc are
both consequent upon advances made In
science. The most important advance Is
In the high perfection recently at
tanned In celestial photography which,
ut the date Of the total eclipse preceding
that of January last was not available as
IN auxiliary In astronomical work. An
other circumstance is that the nearly COM
plete extinguishment of the moons light
gives opportunity for observation of
PAINT STARS occULTED BY THE MOON.
The value Of these observations of occul-
tations Is that they provide data for ascer-
tanning the moons actual position In space
BY . new and Independent computation,
while the data Of former computations were
recorded occultations Of bright stars.
1t Is expected that lunar satellite may
be found during the eclipse Sunday night.
None was found last January, and the only
possibility of finding one now Is In the con-
tingency that the satellite may then have
been In position behind the moon. and II so
the probability Is that 1t will be In view on
the coming occasion.
II fair night in this locality q grand
sight may be expected, but fair or cloudy it
would be &C well to be at home observing
the heavens than TO be caught out late. As
some may have forgotten the elements o:
astronomy taught them at school, 1t may
be appropriate In conclusion TO refresh
their memory. The moon Is eclipsed
whenever any part of the disc Is darkened
BY the eavth's shadow. II the shadow
merely touches the disc the contact Is
called IN appulse. Ii the shadow covers
only part of the moon the eclipse is partial;
when the moon passes entirely into the
shadow the eclipse is t0tal. Even when t.
tally eclipsed the moons disc usually shows
dull red or c0ppery light