The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-05-22
TOTAL AT 8:49 O'CLOCK
The Eclipse Lasts For Nearly Three
Hours
WILL BE TOTAL ONE MINUTE AND AHALF
The Path # the Totality is Only From 50 to
IS Miles Wide. It May be Seen to
SpIerdid Advantage From
Raletrh.

Tomorrow week is the day for the
total eclipse Of the sun.
1t will be the greatest phenomenon
that has been witnessed here IN many
wears. or that will be seen in many
years TO come.
To be exact. eleven years have pass
ed since the last total eclipse OF the
sun in this country: eighteen years
more are to pass before the next; con-
s%equently the total eclipse of the sun,
visible in the United States on the
2Sth Of the present month being the
only event of its Kind within q period
Of more than quarter OF 4 century,
is to be regarded rs Of great lnpor-
lance.
Astronomers all over the country
are a~nNiously looking forward 10 It
and making extensive preparations
for it. United States weather obser-
yers also are preparing for a com
plete record OF it.
The Weather Bureau here. for in
stance. will take observations as to
meteorological conditions during the
eclipse, at intervals of l. minutes.
from 6 O'Clock in the morning to II
noon. These observations comprise
readings of the regular instruments
for the purpose of ascertaining what
changes occur in pressure and tenn
p%erature. The wind direction and We
locitv. also the direction and motion
Of all kinds of clouds visible. are re-
corded as carefully as possible. Also
observers will note accurately all cir
cumstances attending the progress of
the eclipse. .
Thus both eve observations and au-
tomato recording Instruments Will
be used.
Observations are commenced early
because the sun rises already IN par
tial eclipse, although t~otality does
@ooIr until $40 o'clock. 18th
meridian time. WI { corresponds to
s:34h local time.
IN making these observations Mr..
Won Hermann. the director Of -
Weather Bureau here. has invited the
cooperation of about fifty observers
near the edges Of the line Of totality.
for the purpose Of studying the shad-
ow bands which are q very peculiar
and little understood feature of a
total eclipse-visible only for Il short
interval just before. and another short
interval just after, the t~otality be
gins.
THE PATH OF TOTALLY.
The path Of totality is about -
miles wide beginning in the Pacific
ocean just west Of Mexico. There
the point of totality frs touches our
earth. 1t then passes eastward across
Mexico. and entering the United
States mean New Orleans. proceeds in
Il northeasterly direction until it
leaves the continent close to Norfolk.
Va. Then it crosses the Atlantic.
touches Portugal. and afterwards
passes across northern Africa. leaving
the earth finally near the northern
end of the Red Sea. In this country
the cities Of New Orleans. La: Mo-
bile, Ala: Raleigh. y. G.. and Norfolk.
Va. are all on the %totalitv path. At
New Orleans the sun will be com
Dietelv covered at 40 a. m.. while at
Norfolk this will rot happen until
S:53 q. m. In New Orleans totality
Will last 70 seconds. and in Norfolk
1902 seconds. At intermemidate places
both the time and duration of t~otality
will fall between these extreme val
1les. FOR places nearer to New Or
leans than to Norfolk the numbers
will be nearer those given for New
Orleans. and vice versa. In Raleigh,
for instance. t~otality will last about
100 seconds.
SO far as the track Of the eclipse
is concerned Raleigh. though slightly
TO the north Of the center of the
track Of totality. is very favorably
located. as will be seen from the above
table.