Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-05-26
ECLIPSE EXPEDITION.
Mr.. |. W. Ripley Writes About
the Coming Event
For Readers of the vIrginian- Pilot The
Expedition Sent BY tho Hartford Scion
tihc Society to Norfolk Mr.. Ripley
Writes About the Eclipse.

Mr. L. w. Ripley. in charge Of the
Hartford Scientific Society's expedition
to Norfolk. writes as follows to the
Virginian-Pilot:
1T Is safe to say that never in the
history of astronomy has a celestial
phenomenon occurred which has awak-
ened such popular interest as has the
approaching total solar eclipse, which
Will occur III the forenoon of the 2Sth of
this month. 1t is an event of such sur
passing grandeur and rare occurrence
that the interest which it has awakened
is certainly well merited.
A larger number of people will tour
ney from all parts of the world and be
distributed along the path than have
ever before been gathered for the OBJ
serVation of any astronomical event
Whatever. If the observers are favored
with clear sky undoubtedly very
much OF scientific value win be learned.
for uever have the scientists been so
Wen equipped to gather the utmost
limit OF value from instrumental OBJ
servations.
IT may not be amiss to state the
general facts in connection with the
event. There are several total eclipses
IN a century. but inasmuch as the en-
tire urea over wtIfUh Unu may be seer
is only a very minute portion of the sur
face of the earth. 1t will readily be
seen that the chances of seeing 1t twice
in the same locality are very remote.
For instance. It has been almost two
hundred years since any portion of
Great Britain has been in the path of a
total eclipse, and the people of London
have only seen one since the year HOO.
and their descendants will have to wait
rT.tI At,,,- 4.
fury before they have another visit
The eastern portions of the United
States will be touched by paths OF to-
tally i'll 1918, 1925 and 1859, the first
crossing Florida, the second the north
ern corner of Maine. and the third
through Massachusetts. but occurring
so early In the morning as to he practi-
cally valueless, either as a spectacle or
as affording opportunity for scientific
observation. So 1t seems likely that
those of us who live near the Atlantic
seaboard and north OF Florida should
better make the most Of the present op-
portunity. The laws of nature, which
govern the occurrence Of ecliDseS are
so exactly known by astronomers that
the circumstances Of time. place. extent.
etc. are very accurately determined for
long periods of time.
A total eclipse of the sun is caused
by the moon in It's monthly journey
around the earth coming squarely be-
tween the earth and the sun. This
would occur. of course, every month il
the moon revolved around the earth in
the same plane as the earth revolves
about the sun, but since the moons
orbit is inclined about five degrees to
that OF the earth, an eclipse can only
occur when the sun Is near the fne
where these orbits cut each other.
While the new moon is always near the
ct,,, 10,
1t. Quite often 1t cuts off a portion of
one side or the other of the sun, as it
passes. Then we have partial eclipse.
These of course occur very often, there
being about - partial eclipses In
century. But let not the serious mis-
take be made of confounding the two
kinds of eclpses. So long as there is
anything of the sun to be seen none OF
the phenomena which make the total
eclipse SO interesting are to be observ-
ed. 1t is only when the last ray of di-
rect sunlight is cut off that the grand
spectacle is to be viewed.
Let me quote from some Of the prom
inent writers on astronomical matters.
Sir Norman Lockyer says: 1T is one
of the most sublime sights given to
man to witness" "A total eclipse of
the sun Is one OF the most impressive
sights that nature offers to the eye of
man" CProf. Simon Newcomb): 1.-THE
grardest celestial phenomenon on
which the eye of man hasever rested"
tProf. Pickering, of Harvard.)
1t will be seen that we may reason
ably expect to enjoy the sight of life
time. or course we may be defeated by
an obscured sky or a stray cloud, but
the chances are largely in favor of a
clear sky. The sun will be about half
way between the eastern horizon and
the zenith. and its location among the
stars could hardly be better. II will be
In the constellation Taurus, about half
way between the wcll-known groups of
stars the Pleiades" and "Hyades." 1t
is in teresting to note that the star AL
cyone in the Plcdadcs is rated as ex-
actly of the third magnitude. and AL
debaren in the HyadeS is the only star
In the heavens rated as exactly of the
first magnitude
The question Is often asked: what
may we EXPECT to see?" For the first
hour and quarter the black body of
the moon will be seen slowly creeping
over the face of the sun gradually
cutting off its light. The darkness in
crcases so gradually, however. that
scarcely any difference in the usual
light will be noticed until totality ap-
proaches. The narrow crescent of the
sun Will now grow rapidly shorter and
thinner. Just a few moments before il
is entirely obscured person station
GU ul all cieVutlon may notice waVy
bands of light and shadow moving
across the face of the ground, or, sides
buildings. These are the mys-
FERROUS shadow bands" as they are
called. 1t is not known what they are
or what causes them. 1t seems likely
that II there cause is ever discovered
1t will be by experiment with artificial
sources OF light.
Just az the last vestige of the sun is
about to disappear the portion visible
Is seen to break up into number OF
small patches of light. These are call
ed "Bailey's Beads" after the name of