The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-01-02
THE SUNS ECLIPSE.
The Interesting Natural
Phenomenon Of Yesterday.
NEARLY TOTAL IN SALT LAKE.
The Experimen ts Conducted in Cali
fornia-Fheir Value to the
Student of Science.

Smoked glass was in demand yester-
day; and eligible street corners where
an unobstructed view Of the sun could
be had were at premium.
The savants and the almsnacs had
both agreed that the first signs of the
eclipse OF the sun would be visible in
Salt Lake at about Lis pm, solar
time; for once, at least, the savants and
the almanacs agreed.
The day was most perfect one, and
an excellent view was afforded.
at about lao, local time, faint
black spot was noticeable on
the edge of the sun, and
at 2 o'clock it had progressed
so as to be distinctly Visible to the
naked eye covered by piece OF smoked
glass. There were those who were in
clined to believe that this city would be
one of the favored spots where the total
eclipse would be seen, but at 2.15 this
idea was dispelled, as it became evident
| that the shadow inclined towards the
buttom edge. At $50 the sun was about
half obscured and from that time until
the maximum had been reached, things
earthly assumed very peculiar ap-
pearance. In many cases, business
places became so dark as to necessitate
the lighting of the gas. At o'clock
| the city was flooded with a pale light,
reese N bling moonlight, and which cast
| wierd shadows. AT about 90 the max
imum was attained-about Hip of the
orb being covered-the sunlight began
to brighten and assume its natural
color. The shadow passed from the
sun at about 20.
THE ECLIPSE WAS VISIBLE
to the larger portions of North America
and the North Pacific ocean. and was
total along a tract eighty miles wide,
extending from the Aleutian Islands
and running centrally through Point
Arena, CAL, Winnemucca. New, Noun
tain Meadow. Idaho, and terminating
about Lake Winnipeg. It was lnvIsi-
bic east of line drawn Trough New
YORK City aud Ogdensburg.
California and portions of Nevada
were the most favorable points for
view of the total eclipse, and the line of
totality where stations could be estab-
lished was ia the northern and south
ern portions of the Golden State,
ITS IMPORTANCE.
The eclipse was of great Importance,
if for no better. reason than that al
ecIipses furnish important data to the
student of science. The Lick Observa-
tory had several parties in the field,
Cambridge and Harvard had as many
more, and it was the intention to have
several foreign governments also rep
resented in California. The different
parties worked for different results,
some sketching, and still others watch
ing the various phases and writing out
their impressions. The purpose of the
observations was a study of the sur
roundings of the sun, which can only
| be done when his light is obscured.
Advantage is taken of the total eclipse
of the sun, usually, to look for planet
| between the sun and Mercury, the ex-
istence of which has furnished basis
| for endless discussions. There are
soma disturbances in the orbit of Mer-
curry which theoretically might be ac-
counted for by the presence of a planet
| inside of it. Heretofore, owing to the
limited duration of the eclipse and the
comparatively large field to be covered
the non-discovery of planet did not
necessarily indicate its non existence.
But now that celestial photography has
been brought to so high a state of per-
fectiou, 1t is possible to obtain photo
graphs covering the probable orbit of
every planet in our system. The nom
appearance of planet on one of these
negatives would be considered as strong
evidence that no such planet exits.
More important than this. however,
is the study of the photosphere and the
corona, which are considered by scien-
fists of more practical interest than
searching for an interior planet, mas
much as this gives US more knowledge
of the suns atmosphere and surround
lngs.
THE SUNS CORONA.
The solar total eclipse invites re-
newed attempt to solve various prob
lens concerning the suns corona by
means of photography, aud other prob
| lens relating to the amount and inten-
sity of the light emitted by the sun under
the conditions suggested.
The object of photographing the
| corona is 10 6SCCTLdl III IL pO6SlDlC WAdG ltS
size and shape are. In 1878, when an
expedition went to Fort Worth, Texas,
to observe the total eclipse of that year
there were about twenty persons who
were trained to make rapid sketches of
a picture of the sun shown to them fol-
two minutes and some seconds, the
length of the total for that year. When
the eclipse came their eyes were blind
folded until the word was given, ano
then they all made sketches of the ap
peara I ce of the corona. These sketches
differed marvelously, but they showed
that the corona was not the same shape
that had been noted before. This wear
tae astronomers attempted to get then
with the sensitive plates.
1t is not exactly known what the
corona is. 1t is believed to be an atmos
phere of some sort surrounding. the
sun. Comets when they pass though il
have their briiliancy increased by the
friction against its particles. 1t il
vastly more tenuoas than our athmos-
phere, but what it is composed of we
do not know. The results of the inYes-
tigation will be awaited with no little
interest in the scientific world.