New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-28
CLOUDS SPOIL THE ECLIPSE.
IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE OBSERVATIONS OF
VALUE.

THE MOON oBscURED AZ IT PASSES INTO THE
EARrHs sHApow-soME OSCILLATIONS
OBTAINED AT PRINCETON.
The total eclipse OF the moon yesterday was
unnoticed by the majority OF people IN this city
on account OF the clouds. which obscured the
moons surface during the greater part OF inc
time At intervals riffs in the clouds made the
eclipse visible. but these periods were 80 rev
and brief that hardly any one noticed them At
the times when the eclipse would be most striK-
ing and apparent to ordinary observers-namely.
at It's beginning and end. when the surface or
the moon is only partially hidden-even these
fleeing glirnpses were not possible. II was only
when the earth's shadow entirely covered the
surface Of the satellite that anything could be
seem and the faint opper-colored circle when
then visible would hardly have been noticed
except by those who knew where to look.
The eclipse entire disappointment TO
the astronomers In and near New-forK' All
eclipse OF the moon has never the scientific IN
terest value Of eclipse Of the sun, but
total eclipse Of the former Is sufficiently rare,
and can lead TO sufficiently important results
to cause an immense deal Of elaborate prepara-
ton the part of astronomers In all parts OF
the world where It is visible. The value of total
lunar eclipses Is entirely on account OF the oo-
servaton Of the smaller stars In occultation
which they make possible. BY means OF the OBJ
servation OF these OCCUPATIONS It IL possible to
gauge the moons diameter and parallax Some
time ago a special request was sent to all Amerl-
can observatories from the Royal Observatory
at Pulkowa. Russia. where. for over twenty-five
years, the astronomers have been working 10
solve these problems to the last degree OF accu-
"A astronomers
in every part Of the world have been working
on the problems also, and those In this country
have supplied some of the moet valuable data
yet collected
The moon rose yesterday one minute after
sunset unobscurcd 1t entered the shadow at
Al 80 p. m. STANDARD time for the seventy
fifth meridian). The total eclipse began nj
$3.50 p. m The moon was in the middle or
the shadow at 6:42O6 D. m. At I:20;42 p. IN.
the total eclipse ended. and the moon was en-
tirely clear Of the shadow at S36:24 p. m. In
New-York City the local mean time is four
minutes ahead Of the standard time
PROFESSOR REEss OBSERVATIONS.
Professor John Krom Rees. of Columbia Uni
versity was seen by Tribune reporter last
evening The old observatory Of the University
was recently torn down, and up to now 1t has
not been found possible TO erect and adjust IN
the new buildings the more important Of the in
struments belonging to the University Most OF
the work Of Professor Rees and his colleagues
has lately been in small structure near the
University buildings, but in order to observe
the eclipse to better advantage some instru-
ments were temporarily placed in position yes
terday The cloudy weather, however. pre-
vented any observations from being made. Pro-
fessor Rees did not remain a the Univer-
sity but saw the eclipse from his own observa-
tory at the Dakota Flats. Central Park West
and Seventy -second-st.
1T was quite impossible" said Professor Rees.
ito obtain any data Of value. To do so a per-
fectly clear night is necessary Even If there
is slight haziness 1t spoils everything. as 1t Is
the very small stars near the moon, OF the eighth
or ninth magnitude, TO which data regard
nag their OCCUPATIONS required. These are
invisible except during eclipses. on account OF the
brightness OF the moons light. BY noting to
the fraction OF a second the times when
they become obscured by the moons surface IN
eclipses and when they reappear. ana COM
pairing the observations Of these times made at
different parts Of the earth's surface. one can
compute exactly the distance and size or the
moon, which astronomers have been attempting
TO do for many years. There a great many
small stars, chiefly in the constellation or can
GER the occultations Of which could have been
observed this evening had the weather been
clear"
AREA IN WHICH IT WAS VISIBLE.
Taking the moons diameter to equal l. the
width OF the shadow through which ii passed
yesterday 13S. the shadow being much
larger than in the generality Of eclipses. the
eclipse was visible generally throughout North
and South America Europe. Africa and the
western part Of Asia. on the Pacific Coast the
only observations possible were as the moon
left the shadow and the famous Lick telescope
could not. therefore, be put TO such important
use as If the whole eclipse were visible. If the
weather had been good New YORK CITY Wouid
see every phase Of the eclipse on the earths
surface. Further West the moon rose already
eclipsed, and beyond the Mississippi River the
first stage Of the eclipse could not be seen at
all. The whole of the fetal stage. however,
could be seen az far west as Denver
SOME SUCCESS AT PRINCETON.
Last evening Professor Charles A. Young Of
Princeton University. save out the following
statement on observations made Of the eclipse:
1.-THE observations were only partial success.
owing to interference Of haze and flying clouds.
At the two observatories able to get
eight or ten out OF a list of thirty OCCUPATIONS
which should have got had the weather been
favorable. IT, however, other observatories III
this country and Europe have been only as
fortunate We the amount and value of the
observations will be considerable
when the moon is eclipsed it is possible to see
the small stars near it. which are otherwise in
visible, and we can then observe their occulta-
tons: that is to say. observe the moments when
the moon In her course covers and uncovers the
stars. Such observations made at widely differ
ent places the earth furnish important data
for determining the exact position and distance
Of the moon the ATTITUDES and longitudes OF the
places OF observation. and the form OF the
earth. No attempt was made to observe any
other phenomena OF the eclipse. The moons
surface was neither as dark as in 1854. when IL
was entirely invisible to the naked eye, nor as
bright as It often is. being perfectly clear only
FOR few minutes