The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-07-27

ton Of the sun concealed from view being
smaller the farther north or south the OBJ
server is. The northern limit, beyond
which there win he no eclipse, is IN North
America, at about the fifty-sixth parallel
OF latitude. AT Washington and across
the whole OF the United States at points
in soout the same latitude as Washington
-3s degrees, so nnnutes-eXactly one-half
OF the suns face 1.-THE lower half viii be
yelled
In the central portion OF the United
States the eclipse viii begin between T:14
and 4 50 a. m. and viii end between GAS
and 1901 a. M, its duration being less
the farther north the observer is.
partial eclipse of the sun is a far less
interesting occurrence than a total eclipse;
Stll, solar eclipses are not presented 10
US with such frequency that We can venture
to be captious OF refuse on this occasion TO
give to the spectacle its due tribute of adj
miIation, simply because it is not the
finest 81 its kind ColoTed glass and smoked
glass viii be in demand. Millions of eyes
will watch the slow encToachmenr of the
invisible lunar disk upon the brilliant disk
of the sun Even for those who understand
fully the cause OF an eclipse there is some
thing unCanny in this partial blotting out
OF the sun at broad monday, at time
when, - all appearances, its path through
the heavens is entirely free from obstacle
OF hinderment II is not 70 be won dercd
At that the occurrence should be terrifying
to the ignorant and superstitious. solar
eclipse is one of those celestial terrors OF
which science. happily, has relieved the
civilized nations, though the savage still
sees in it the efrort OF a demon or dragon
30 devour the glorious sun god.
Among the thousand and one questions
which viii occur 30 the eclipse observers
the most perplexing. perhaps, VIII be, why
the area over which the eclipse is visible
should be limited, since the sun viii be
visible at the time over one entire heInis-
ptere IL the earth. and why the eclipsei
sun should appear differently to observers
in different localities The diagram given
here VIII aid in answering these questions
An eclipse OF the sun is a different affair
from an eclipse OF the moon. A lunar
eclipse is caused by the passing of the
moon through the earth's shadow 1t Is
visible from every point ON the earth's sur
face from which the moon self is visible
at the time; that is, over one entire hem,s-
phere Of the earth. Furthermore n lunar
ECLIPSE. whether total or partial. presents
one and the same appearance to every OBJ
server, NO matter where he is sta toned,
whether in Boston or San Francisco, or Rio
Janeiro, Just as the shadow of tree cast
upon house appears the same from what
ever point of view it is loo ked at
A solar eclipse is caused 10y the passage
or the moon hetw cen us and the sun. To
see IL one must be SO situated thatthe range
is right. just as to see a distant house
exactly behind some near object, as a
tree, one must So stand that the Tree is
exactly in line with him and the house
If he moves from this line, to The right
or the left, the tree changes its position
with reference to the house. and when he
has moved to certain distance IL ceases
altogether to range with the house
In the case OF a solar eclipse the sun
is the distant house; the moon is the tree
Since the noon IL a comparatively small
body, only about 1000 miles in diameter.
while the diameter of the earth is nearly
5000 miles, there is upon the earth am
nle room for getting off the range when
the moon lis passing the sun. Thus, to an
observer situated next Thursday any
where on the twenty-five-nsile lire above
say, Havana, the moon will appear to
pass directly across the suns face, its
center moving along the line marked on
the diagram, Moon = PATH" In the direc-
ton Indicated 10y the arrow One cir
only will prevent the eclipse
from being total for that observer, and
this Is that the moon, being now at very
nearly her greatest distance from the
earth, her apparent size Is at its least,
and Is less than that OF the sun This
eclipse. therefore, has no especial interest
for ASTRONOMERS, who concern themselves
nevada Us only with total ecIpses.
For an observer at Washington the
range will be different. To him the
moons center viii appear to pass along
the line marked Alb. so that it's upper
line VIII Just reach the suns center. An
observer in ef,cut latitude 56 VIII be still
further off OF the range. To him the
moon. could 1t be seen, would seer, to
rneve along the line CD. It's upper es,ye
would just Craze the lower edge OF the
sun in passing. and there would be no