The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-03-13
THE BEST IN THE NORTHWEST
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10. 1895.
That Eclipse.

Promptly on scheduled time the
eclipse of the moon arrived last sun
day evening; the people of Anaconda
generally were very well pleased with
the performance; it was quite as inter-
estiug as the advance notices had led the
public 10 believe it would be. 1t was
essentially great moral show. The
unclouded condition of the heavens
during the progress of this somewhat
remarkable passage of heavenly bodies
enabled people in these regions to get
a good view of il. The result was sat
isfactory to those of the STANDARD
townsmen who take any interest in
matters astronomical.
There was an important question to
be decided by students Of the stars by
last Sunday evenings eclipse-the
question whether or not the moon has
a satellite of its own. Some inspired
poet has said
The big feas have little fleas
Upon their backs to bic EN-;
The li'.le neas have lesser fleas-
Ana so on, I'D tntaitlu1.
1t is considered an astronomical
possibility that satellites "have other
satellites that shine upon them with a
mild, borrowed light Ii is remarked
that lunar eclipses are carefully OBJ
served 50 That nothing possible TO
DO seen regarding that presumed
played-out world may be missed, but
they 90 not excite the interest, scien-
tihc or popular, felt in solar eclipses.
Since the construction of gigantic tele-
scopes and the application of photog-
raphy to astronomical uses the posi-
billties of lunar investigation nave
increased and a new interest has been
added by discovery made during a
recent total eclipse of the moon.
Upon examining the photographs
taken at the time minute speck of
light was apparent which could not be
accounted for by what had previously
been known in regard to the moon.
The suggestion was made that the tiny
dot was another planetary body, a
chip on the moons surface that had
set up business as a little world of its
own, a sort of Rhode Island affair, but
which had been unable to wholly
break away from the control of the
moon, Just as the moon has been kept
circling around the parent earth-as-
suming that our moon is really chip
off the old block. The suggestion was
received by the astronomical world
with general doubt, but with deter
mination to take the first opportunity
10 test It's truth. Unfortunately, the
eclipse on Sunday evening occurred at
q time when the heavens were very
much clouded in the regions where the
great observatories are located. The
dispatches tell us the observations
were in no measure satisfactory to the
astronomers i'll san Francisco and
Washington and Harvard An obser-
YER upon Mount llaggin would have
peered through a cloudless sky: Mon
tana's climate is as GOOD for the star
gaZer as IL is for tbs eonsumptive.
At Harvard a number of photo
graphs of the moon were taken during
the eclipse; these pictures are being
attentively studied for the discovery
of the speck of light similar TO that
observed at the previous eclipse by
one astronomer. Should 1t be dlscov-
cred its position will be calculated in
order TO determine whether IT owes its
existence in the photograph TO celes-
tial or terrestrial influences. a lunar
satellite or a detectln the Photographic
material: in other words. whether II is
ga full stop or a fly speck.' Full IN.
formation concerning this affair j.
awaited with considerable interest.