The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-09-03
THE ECLIPSE TONIGHT.
THE MOON WILL BE TOT4LLY Oh
SECURED At 1906 O'CLOCK.
Much Interest Being Taken In the Phe-
nomenon by Astronomical People.
Professor Filipanti's Views.

There will be a total eclipse of the
moon. which will be visible in Richmond
tonight II the skies are clear.
one thing that makes the phenomena
Of tonight especially noticeable is the
fact that during the twenty-four hours
there will be no less than five eclipses In
all, three OF which with be OF the sun and
invisible in the United States. The eclipse
OF the moon will begin at IL o'clock and
gradually the face of the moon will be
concealed until at 1906 o'clock Wednesday
morning it will be totally obscured. Then
the shadow will slowly pass OFF and the
eclipse ended at 2:5i A. NJ.
The Baltimore American says.
Much interest Is taken in the approach
ing phenomenon by the Baltimore Asiro-
uOmical Society, and the various obserya-
tons taken will be made the basis of
considerable work during the coming win
ter. Mr.. Justice Stain, one of the most
active members of that body. says in re-
gard 10 the eclipse:
we can obtain a very good idea of the
eclipse II We can Imagine the moon
as globe Of little more
than 700 miles In diameter and NOV
ing in curved path around the earth
at a distance OF from 10000 TO 10000
miles. With a velocity OF about 200
miles an hour, it enters the enormous
cone-shaped shadow cast by the earth
into space The path or orbit of the
moon is inclined TO the plane Of the eclip-
tic-that vast level plain, 50 to speak.
IN which the earth moves about the SUM-
If the moon were to travel I'm the same
plane we would at each new moon have
an eclipse OF the sun, and at each full
moon an eclipse OF the moon: but since
the moons orbit does not coincide with
the plane of the earth's orbit but is in
oil 70 ul 4 q
have an eclipse of the moon when the
moon enters into the shadow cast by
the earth. OF course, this shadow Is our
night, and hence an eclipse or the moon
can only occur at night. When the moon
is not in the shadow II is in some other
part OF its orbit going through its resu-
lar phases from new moon 10 full moon,
sc.
MEYER DISAPPEARS.
1.-THE most curious feature Of the lunar
eclipses Is that the moon never entirely
disappears during total eclipse, as we
should think it would 10, since all its
lfcht has been interccrJted. In fact, IL is
always feebly Illuminated, so tnat many
of its features are stu visible. some
times it has a coppery hue, and again
a gray or smoky appearance, again a
chocolate tinge. and the edges may ap-
peIr purplsh or sreenish.
These peculiar and uncertain eNhlbl-
tons OF color seem 10 depend on the
blending of the rays Of sunlight around
! the earth by our atmosphere. The hiSner
portions OF the air retIact the sun ray
| in such a way as 70 light up in part
the central region Of shadow, and at the
same time exert an absorptiye effect on
the lights, taking out the blue rays and
transmitting the red rays, producing a
result somewhat similar TO the ruddy sun
| set
The views of Professor Flipantl. OF
BOlOFne, may be of interest. He says.
l. Many Opaque bodies, perhaps all al
| ter having been exposed long time 10 a
strong light and having been, so TO SPEAK
saturated with IT, keep for short time
! a sort OF phOsphorescence; the phenome-
non is especially seen in sulphate OF
barium. and in the better-known luml-
| nous paint.
,. The moon remains exposed TO the
| suns light and heat for fifteen consecu-
| five DAYS unprotected by any atinOs-
| phcre. and must become intensely heated
| The passage from extreme heat TO eN'
/ IRENE cold ordinarily takes place IN NJ
teen days but during eclipse in about one
| hour.
3. The reddish color Of the moon has
! not the gralations of tint which should
| be produced by light shining through ar,
| ferent LAYERS Of the atmosphere, ana
| must. therefore. be due in whole OF
| part 10 some other cause.
| 4. The whitish illumination occupies inc
circumference and the reddish color the
| centre: the former the pale illuminat ioh
| PRODUCED probably. by refractlOn alone
! follows Immediately the beginning ahc
| extension OF the observation; nut the reg
/ color does not show itself distinctly uhH
| several minutes later, although the Nsh'
! from the east TO the moon arrives IN les,
| than two seconds of time. therefore II
J cannot be due 10 refractiOn alone, Dul
| must be due to some physical chanse III
the surface Of the luna rocks-a physlcd
| change which must be similar 10 phos
! phofescence.
| oCCUITATIoS OF STARS.
Another interesting and valuable al
| iunct of lunar eclipses is what = caii"'
occultati0n Of stars, that IS, the moo
| servcr on the earth. ard thus Gil $ then
| from our view. This can only De seer
| with a telescope or spyglass. Their tlile'
| of disappearance and reappearahce arr
| Noted. and thus calculations can De maN'
| TO determine the moons diameter ali'
verify calculations OF occull"' iVh7@ na
| n,vsterio~s bOdy-thc mo)n-ls 'trA
! much observed b)iy with astronomers
| The moon was once Ike our eaith, nav
| inc had water and atmosphere, seas an
| rivers and mountains. The water an
| atnc II here have dls1Dpedrri-dt leds! ~
| trOnOmers can discern no trace OF t"tii
| I'm the dead moon. Now, If there were an
! or the moon du,ing an OccultauJn H'
| stars would disappear slowly, Dtt llcs
| dlsapDear so fast and suddenly that as
trOnOmets conclude from thal ACT az.
! from the fact that we never see ciouu'
| on the moon. that there u no as," ~.
Dhore. and consequently, no water III tn'
| moon The mountains IN TIE noon IA
| exceed our terrestrial mountains u
| height aud some Of its volcanoes meas
! IRE 30 miles across, and, coupleu MI
| the fact that we never see more thai
al