The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-08-11
ECLIPSE OF THE MOON.
Three Parts of Luna's Disc 10
Be in Shadow.
SOME ASTRONOMICAL LESSONS
Distances 81 the Planets and the
Length Of the shadows They Would
Throw IN Comparison.

Those who wish to tarr aside from pogl-
tics ard worldly care. aaa rsve9 fer a time
n shs saeFy % Tia hi tgeas. WI have a
good Opportunity on Sata~,5av evening.
August =. ahe neon sill thea be n larRe
partial sclirSs. and tbs skaae wall e favar-
abe FER Is Sui1 sn3aymaen;
fae moon enters tne ss.glh's shadow az
ss@s a IN. ard leaves Il At fss@ a. m,
Pacific standard sinse. A Seattle tae moon
rises AZ $50 y ~ see wsi, therefore. he
fs1oT@ than t~o ard aae-hass Aoars hiEh
AZ The beginning q rs eclipse. The mid
Gle 81 the eclipse VIII ~ az lass = IN. The
eclipse win fheu &c al ia greatest fnax-
ntsaee. ire shadow covering lilsle less than
three fearths CT the meoa's diameter,
and the illumiEe3 part being on the north
west quadrant Of the moan's disc.
The nrst contact with the shadow VIII
be made at a point II degrees south Of
sasf On the moons limb. and fhe last con-
tact g degrees south % west. The local
times OF The phases above given Tor places
other than those on the Pacific standard
meridian can be found by changing the
time according 70 the iongitnde-aaaing
the difference in time II esss az the
standard meridian. and Sahtraeilng II west.
As We watch this eclipse Il - well 90
res11eTn Der several interesting facts: The
moon VIII be about asg.000 miles from Is
AZ this distance the earth's shadow will
he about Aseo miles 81 diameter. How far
does the earih's shadow extend into spaeeg
AT the time OF the eclipse the shaaow
Will be 5000 miles long-a length equal
10 tho diameter OF the sun. The average
length OF the shadow Is So. coo miles. bat
the moon being more than the average
distance from the earth. the shsdsw is
moro than the average length. This
shadow - a huge cone. whose base IL the
earth. Yet. "a we have seen. the sun can
III the space between the earth and the
apex OF her shadow.
Let us notice the shadows cast by same
OF the other planets: The shadows OF
Venus and Mars are shorter than the
earsh's shadow. while the shadows OF
jupiter and Saturn are many times larger.
The shadow lengths OF the planets Jass
named are:
Venus ...................... -. &C go miles
Mars -......,.- ..<...-......... t~s.ts9 miles
jupiter ................. ......oS. sta.tsd miles
saturn ...-......-.. 81 co miles
The giant dimensions of Jupiter and
Saturn, together with their great dis
tances from the sun. give their enormous
shadows. Mars is more distant from the
sun than the earth. but his diameter is
only little more than one-half the diameter
OF the earth. Hence his shorter shadow.
Venus. having about the Same diameter
as the EARTH Is nearer to the sun. Hence
her shorter shadow.
have spoken OF the magnitude OF the
eclipse OF August %. and also OF the tunes
OF beginning ard ending, and OF the points
OF first and last contact These features
OF the eclipse viii be the same wherever
the eclipse IL visible. This is always true
OF lunar eciipses. The absolute time OF
my of the phases Is the same every
whore. the local time being due only 10
change in longitude. These remarks are
not true of solar eclipsez. In eniinMes OF
the sun. the magnitude. times Of begin
ming and ending points of contact, etc,
are different for different places. The
eclipse may be total al one place and
partial at another. The sun may he
eciipsed on a certain portion OF his disc
AZ one place. and on another portion Of
hts disc at another place You may ask
why this ise The answer is easy
Suspend a bail in front % mirror 20
that the bali Will touch The mirror Now.
whatever position the bah may have on
the mirror as seen from ono point the
ball win have the same position as seen
from any other point Why Because tho
ball rests Immediately on the mirror. I'm
this case the bah represents the moon.
and the mirror section Of the carlhss
shadow at tbs moons aistance. In lunar
eciinses the moon passes Gireefly into the
shadow, and rests Immediately upon IL.
Just as the ball rests directly upon the
mirror. Hence the ban has not only the
same position on the mirror as seen from
any point, but 1, covers the same part OF
the mirror as seen from any point
Again. suspend the bah much nearer
10 yon-sav at oqc-tenth OF the distance
between you and the mirror. As you now
stand. the ban may appear 70 rest near
tho center OF the mirror; and u the ball
Is large enough, n seems % cover the mir
ror entirely Change your position. The
hall appears 20 change SIS position With
reference to the mirror. and the change In
your position may lie made 50 that The
bah viii not hide any part % the mirror.
why Is thls7 Because the ball r. much
nearer TO you than the mirror. In this
case the bah is the moon. and the mirror
is the sun. The moon. in reality. Is about
400 times as near 10 Us as the sun. Hence
the moons position with reference 70 the
sun changes with every position OF the
observer as shown above.
In the total solar eclipse which took
place on the sfh OF this month. the path
Of totally was confined 90 "a narrow STRIP
extending through Northern Russia, 81
liberia. China and Japan. The eclipse was
total AZ but one point at the same In
slant OF sine. the path Of totalify being
caused by the motion OF the neon. Either
side Of this path the eclipse was partial,
and far enough away the moon did not
cover any part Of the sun. Also the alb
soIase times Of beginning ard ending. snd
the points OF contact we're different for
different places, even on the pain or to-
tally. Hence a computation q the phases
OF the eclipse had 20 be made for every
station where an observing party Nss f9-
Gated. This Is not Necessary IN lunar
eciipscs.
The rnarnifude % the lunar eclipse 81
August q e 725. and this Bl1gnlta3e is
tha same wherever the eclipse ~ viTihse.
We win see the same kind 81 an eclipse
on the Pacific coast that viii be seen en
TIE Atlantic coast. The only afasfefaee
being the tine e day. locally s9NaklnE.
WIN ~. TIE eclipse snfa a hstse after
midnight. when tie noon = rear TIRE
n,erlalan on the Atlantis coast. The
eclipse begins about midnight, the mpea
being near the meridian. We ~iE see The
rnYor leave tie eaxtb's shades tifss a. ire
ne. week begins. The romance ~ the
scltrsa wiI uinEis pseaaaatsy NIth our
thoughts on sunday
deep lssksa r taug0t ~ lunar ECLIPSE.
We s~amaeY 81 we go fhe earfs's fern
elrc3eH on the moon. we wonder as me
See ere earth's sha6owy cone asFaaalnz
the fnoau's brightness Yet the moon
rngnefes IN IRIS sesHe. nst sin saansss.
hus vika the ygy felt ~ q ehiid folded n
fts Trothasts arms. Wanu ths emeaq1f-
rnsrs - over. orr fagr satellite EmilsH With
renewed beauty. a. y a divine Fs1sanse
bvsrhfemed her fact. listen 70 the song
tbs rrsen sings q me esFth. as rendered
~ she poet SasAeF,
A. IA ere sos- ard HgUet eclipse
When seal meets soul 90 lovers jirs.
gfi~s asmfss are easal. aa4 brightest eyes
are fuit.
q. ~rsr fhs saasow fails On re-
,-sar am / rrase ard Ssh. ~ taes
s-.5-sssr.sss a. tssv love- Orb Enoes beautiful
+4'' - uRRTS r. HARMON.