The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-05-17
er those given for New Orleans, aud

vice versa.
Having thus explained the circum
stances OF this eclipse, we shall E0w
touch upon some Of the interesting
things that will be seen il the sky is
| clear. Total solar eciipscS appeal
equally to the general public aud to
the professional astronomer. On the
perb spectacle within the whole range
OF astronomy; aud on the other, they
oiler the best opportunity to study thc
mysterious structure and c0mpnsition
Of our sun. One of the things to which
astronomers attnch Importance is the
| accurate observation OF the times Of
beginning and ending Of the eclipse.
| II is eaey to see that the mathematical
| consideration upon which are based
our theories Of lunar motion will be
put to very severe test in predicting
the exact instant when the sun will be
covered up by the moon. II Ohscrva-
tion agrees with prediction, we have
the strongest corr0borative evidence
OF the correctness Of our theory and Of
our numerical calculations. Ga the
other hand, II it be found thattne pre-
dictions are slightly in error, the
amount Of that error can be determined
by observation, and mathematics 81
theory thus corrected for the benefit Of
tuture predictions. Although our
knowledge in this department OF as
tronomy has reached very high state
OF perfection, it is y fact that we can
not predict the times OF eclipse today
without possibility Of error amount
Ing to several seconds. Part OF this
error is due no doubt to insufficient
knowledge Of the moons size, or to the
possibility that contact between sun
N
lar or mountainous part Of the lunar
surface. But each eclipse tends to i'm
provo our information ana make Our
math ematical theories more perfect.
The greatest interest, however, cen
ters about the physical observations
possible during total eclipse. Our
sun is not merely the blazing, brilliant
| luminous globe we see every day n
| the heavens. The iery center ball
has vast outer appendagc. stretch
Ing millions Of miles into space-the G
delicately tinted, tenuous, ti]my, un-
explained corona. 1t Is the corona
that makes IL total eclipse so beautiful,
regarded merely Us a spectacle to he
fainter than that of the sun : we can
see 1t only when the later is complete
! ly obscured At all other times the
bright light Of the central ball illumi-
mates the air surrounding our earth so
| as to mako 1t far superior in bright
ness to the faint corona and observers
looking perlorce through this illumi-
mated air cannot distinguish the deli-
cate tracery Of the corona itself. But
when the advancing edge OF :he moon
slowly covers the suns central disc,
until at last only a narrow sickle
shaped piece is left, the waiting as
tronOmers have u few moments OF in.
tense expectation. The sickle narrows
yet even that is quite sufficient to
mask the corona. Then, suddenly. all
is covered. On the instant, as though
At the touch Of magician's wand, out
bursts the splendid corona into view
TITS sight OF beauty indescribabc
impressive beyond comparison. Men
that have been privileged to see IT,
ever after tell OF it's having given one
OF lifc's most exciting moments, never
to be forgotten.
But the quiet scientific investigator
tries to make use OF these rare 0ppOr.
tunities to obtain some knowledge OF
the true constitution OF our sun. Be-
fore the cOrona's appearance, Just rs
the brilliant central disc Is being
totally Obscured, there are very lew
brief important seconds when we re.
ceivo light direct from the cutter laycre
OF the solar globe, and these moments
offer the only chance. to examine
directly the glowing gases that max
up the suns outside envelope. Much
of our solar knowledge has been thu.
gathered painfully in the few hcctng
mlnutes OF observation made possible
by successive total eclipscs. Then i,
is that VIC SEQ great red ,lames II Ashinl
| hundreds OF thousands OF miles ou
into space Curling, intcrjacing, eve,
changing, veritable cloudbursts O
living lire, these are proofs OF tn,
power and violence Of natures hiddct
fOrcos