The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-13

touch the bright disk of the sun, and 10
begin to eat its way into il. The second
contact occurs just at the moment Of to-
tality when the last thread of sunlight is
snapped off by the advancing moon. The
third contact is marked by the reappear-
ance of the suns limb after totality, and
the fourth contact occurs as the retreating
limb of the moon leaves the bright disk of
the sun.
These observations determine accurately
the relative position of the sun and moon
and thus furnish the means for correcting
the astronomical tables by which eclipses
are predicted. As accurately as the SCI
ence of astronomy can be applied In pre-
dieting eclipses for years in advance, there
is still a small error In the moons mo-
ton which has not been accounted for
by any known causes and this error
though extremely small may cause the
real time OF the contacts to differ from the
computed times several seconds.
Number and Frequency of EcIipses.
The least possible number of eclipses
that can occur In a year Is two In which
case they Will be central eclipses of the
sun. The greatest possible number is
seven-five of the gun and two of the moon.
Although solar eclipses are somewhat
more numerous than those OF the moon
the latter are more common, because
whenever the moon Is eclipsed, Ii can be
seen by an entire hemisphere, while
eclipses of the sun are ce&fnod to small
err portions of the earth's surface.
The eclipses happen each year at two
seasons, about six months apart, but each
year these ECLIPSE months" as they are
called, return little earlier until in nine
teen years, they make a complete revoltD-
tions of the months of the year.
A careful investigation of the recur-
rences of eclipses will show that they are
repeated at a regular interval Of eighteen
years and eleven and one-third days. AT
ter the elapSe of this time therefore, we
shall have another total eclipse Of the
sun similar TO the present one, but its
track at each recurrence will be about
100 degrees further to the West This
periodic return Of eclipses was known 10
the ancients and the Chaldeans, who used
this period in predicting eclipses. They
called IL the "Saros,' which means "resti-
tuition" or repetition" Their predictions
of eclipses by means of the Saros was
very similar to our prediction of the re-
currence Of chill every seven days,
Facts and phenomena were observed, but
causes were not understood. This method
is entirely TOO crude for modern pur-
poses, and the highest mathematical
skill combined with much patient work,
is now required to compute accurately an
eclipse Of the sun.
History of EcIipses.
The Chinese have the first record Of
an eclipse of the sun, which happened
2,12S years before Christ; and one of their
Emperors put to death the chief astrono-
nlers Ho and Hi, for falling to announce
the solar eclipse of 1853 p. G. The Chal-
deans were great observers OF the heavens,
and when Alexander the Great took Baby
lon 1871 b. c. he found records OF their
observations reaching back nineteen CEN
turtles. Thales, one of the seven sages Of
Greece, predicted an eclipse OF the sun
that put an end to the war between the
Modes and the Lydians. This happened
on May g. 5s5 b. G. The awe produced by
the darkenng OF the sun was so great
that they threw down their arms and
made peace.
These records OF ecllpses by historians
serve 10 fix historical dates with certainty
for astronomers can calculate backward
% well as forward In point Of time in the
matter of eclipses.
During the next twenty years several
total eclpses OF the sun will occur, but
none viii be visible In the United States
except one which Will occur on June g.
1915 The path OF this eclipse will extend
from Oregon TO Florida.
A total eclipse Of the sun Is always a
sublime and impressive spectacle, ard
those who live near the path Of totallty
of the present eclipse should not fa1 t.
witness n. Lot US hope that The skies
win be clear and that the thoughts sug-
gested by this silent phenomenon will lea1
US 70 realize more fully the majesty OF