Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1900-05-15
And you shall shortly know that iengthene
THE DAY WILL BE DARK.
THE SUN WILL gIDE ITS FACE ON
MAYS

Eleven years have passed since th'
last total eclipse OF the sun visible IL
this country; Is years more are to pas
before the next; consequently the tots
eclipse Of the sun, visible In the Unitet
States on the 18th OF next May, heins
the only event Of It's kind within n
period OF more than q quarter OF cent
ury, is to be regarded ~ OF great im'
portance.
There has ceased to be any mystery
connected with the phenomena ol
eclipses, whether solar or lunar. Th'
moon mskes a complete circuit OF th,
heavens once In about 20 l-2 days; tn
sun appears 10 do the same, owing to tho
actual circuit made by the earth, once II
a year. The moon, therefore, makes
more than l2 circuits while the sun !.
msking one.
Consequently the moon must overtak'
and pass the sun as many "a IL times ir
year. Sun and moon both appear tt
be moving In the same direction not
only, but In nesrly the same path. II
they moved In exsctly the same path th'
moon would pass In between the sur
and earth at every circuit, and there
would be an eclipse OF the sun at every
new moon. But the paths are no,
exactly the same so the moon usually
goes by either above or below the sun
There are points, however, says
writer In Leslie's Weekly, where thes'
two paths intersect, and n the sun aut
moon both happen st one Of those points
at the same time then an eclipse is 10.
evitsble. At such time were these two
bodies at the same distance from thu
earth there would be collision; but n
they are At different distances the moor
being the nesrer of the two simply shut
of the view Of the sun and the latter Il
eclipsed.
II the moon were actually smaller, ol
N she were more distant aud therefore
apparently smsller, then there would b'
simply q "trsnsIt" OF the moon, like th'
well-known trausits Of Venus and Mer'
curry, both Of which plsnets are i'm
mensely more distant than the moon
That Ia, the moon would then be seen ~
dark body passing across the sun;
face, and shutting off more or less OF III
light according to her apparent size.
Now, asa matter Of fact, We do have
transits Of the moon, though they arr
commonly called "apnulsr eclipses.
There are times when the sun is severa
million miles nearer than st other times
and when the moon Ia several Thousands
OF miles farther than at other times; u
an eclipse occurs st such times the SUM-
body IL apparently enlarged, and th'
moons body apparently diminished, &c
that the moon fails to cover the face o.
the sun and ring Of sunlight (called II
Latin snnulus) surrounds the moon''
body.
II, on the other hand. the moon were
actually larger. or II she were nearer
and therefore apparently larger, there
would be AN occultstion of the sun
That Ia, the suns bright face not onl,
would he hidden from view, but alst
that vast and brilliant corona which sur
rounds his face, and which is never seeI
except during an eclipse. The sun, will
all thst pertains to him. would appeal
utterly extinguished, and this state o
things would continue for period o
time proportionste to the size or ap
parent size OF the moon.
During such an occultation all th'
stars, which are as truly 10 the heaven
by day as by night, would come out Il
view; and considerations which are seei
only ut the opposite season OF the yea
would be on full exhibition. Planets
which by reason OF their apparen
proximity to the sun, could not ordi
nsrily be seen, would shine forth will
their proper glory; and this latter fac
would be consoling evidence that tn
sun had not actually been annihilated
since the radiance of the planets is moth
ing but the reflected radiance OF tn
sun; II ne were destroyed, they, too
would cease to glow.
Now, It is a remarkable thing that tn
distance of sun and moon are so pro
portioned to their size that usually tn
moon fits quite exactly over the face o
the sun. Hence, instead Of transit o
an occultation, we have an eclipse; !
never can last but few minutes, and Il
the present instance minute and hal
Is the limit OF totality, for the moo
hastens on and the sun shines out ono
more. However, for long time 1t Cal
be seen approaching and receding; thu
the duration Of the entire eclipse will b
about two hours and half.