The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-05-27
TILE TIMES: RICHMOND VA. SUNDAY. MAY 81. 1900.

to accurately lead tAie eiitio VI -
face of a watch.
TEN TO CENTURY.
On an average. ABOUT ten total eclipses
NJ tha- sun occur within century Since
tho wear 1896 seven total solar eclipses
rove bean visible within the boundaries
~ fha United States. The first. which
anneared over New York State and New
ENGLAND on June 16, 1865. lasted niue
over four minutes. Another, happening
on November 80, 1884, was visible for TWO
minutes along line eAteiiuihS I'm
Missouri to Georgia. |
The next was on July 10, 1885, and eS-
tended from the present State of WASH
ineton to Labrador. and continued ABOUT
+Irae minutes The one occurring on tAu-
c,,s+ 1860 ana which lasted for two ana
three-nuarter minutes, is remembered oS
many, ,eop!e who then resided IN the cen
trail ana eastern half Of the United States.
The other three were seen over ~.
pao1.,1 mountains and Pacific coast sreglon
- ~ sa1Iowing dates. respectively: July
% 1878. January II, 1850, ana JaIiuais -
1889 ,agl, IN
..la.torn edge. and end on his eastern.
rrha C-haldean shepherds carry tisc o. = -,
tbat after s25 lunations when corfes4'onu
10 IS wears. II days, hours, a. tilillutes'
and 81 seconds, the earth, sun a iiu
will rtti
=; .ae,oct To each other thar there WIZ
Ia regular return of the same ecllpse
ror MANY wears This grand period was
~, then, called Saros Therefore: IL VIC
add This Chaldean Saros OF Is years anu
II days to the mean time OF any eCli-Sei
either of the sun or moon, we VIZ 20
tha return of the same eclipse. rms rue
80 ,,-a4;ctin- eclipses will hold good tor
ages. The greatest number OF eel'-,so
that can take place in any year Is seven.
aud the least number two. In the former
case FIVE will be Of the sun and two OF the
moon. and those of the moon Will De totai.
Tn the after case, the-' will botn De o.
the sun. The usual number OF ec1oses III
q year is four two of the sun, and t::o
of the moon.
LEARN OF THE SUN.
IT. III. average person q total eclipse is
os interest because Of the weirdness OF the
asnect Of nature under its influence. YET
IN the astronomer il has much eFedteL
Importance. Observation can be mace anu
facts learned regarding the conSututio'i
and activities of the sun that cannot ne
obtained under any other clFculiis tsiiicsS
Astronomers hope to find out from t.-e
coming eclipse many things about the
Corona. which is thought to be an atmos-
Dhere of a gaseous nature surrounding me
sun for many millions OF mics. Al US
various ecliDses there have been observed
violent eruptons of the material conlpo3-
ing the sun. vast bodies OF matter thrown
thousands CT miles into space. only 10 De
forced back by the law of grav1tat1on IN
m the SIMS surface. But we cannot IN an
article like this enter into minute aes
crintion of this and the various other
phenomena. ~
On the 21st OF May the sun will nave
Travelled along its path among the StstS
to the point where it crosses the oo'eeI
no Ciu
The angle between the earth's equator
and the ec!iptic is said to be slowly de-
creasing at the rate Of about 40 SECONDS
every hundred years. This decline may
continue for centuries to come q! Ter
which it may, through like perlou, Cru"
greater and in this way continue 20
! vibrate backward and forward IKE t,le
| spinning top as its speed slowly dl1i1lnlsn-
es. This variation being SO slow ana srau-
| mi should make no perceptible change IN
| tho size of the earth's angle or any Vafla-
| tion in the seasons. However, should TINS
! vibrator motion, like that OF the splilnHis
| top once begin to increase, our 70, i-a
| and frigid zones would gradually "ideii'
and, as consequence, our summers
would become hotter and the winters coiu-
! er than they now are.
THEIR POSITIONS.
| The zodiacal archway during the moon
! less evenings Of May may readily De
| seen standing with Virgo on the Inefldlah
/ Libra in position further east with SCOT
Mo rising. while Leo, Sanier, GeIIlini aiiu
Taurus each in the order named, coilplste
| the semi-circe to the western horizon. Inc
| latter half of the moon will, with the
| absence of the moon, afford fine oppof-
! tunity for noting the peculiar position OF
| the Galaxy. Instead of spanning the SKY
| nv vav of mid-heaven, which is It's usuai
| nosition during the fall and winter months
| it now stretches along near the northern
/ horizon from east to west, like the SENT
| circle of light caused by the twilight
| dawn
/! The planet Mercury during the month OF
/ May is fartfest south on the iul, restc-ies
| superior conjunction with the sun on 1he
! sOth. and is at perihelion on the list
! Venus con tinues as evening star through
| ont the month and shines from the west
ern heavens for more than hours after
! sunset She has two conjunctions with the
| moon: the first being on the ID. and me
| other on the 3lst.
Mars is very unfavorably located for
observa ton and hence but little interest
| is attracted to this planet during ,4le
| sprins and summer months. Owing TO as
| GREAT distance from the earth, his usual
! prominence on the celestial sphere IS
| greatly diminished during May tie is
/ nearest the full moon on the 18th.
| Jupiter is at opposition with the sun on
| the 9th. He reignsS as sovereign among the
| morning stars previous to that date dur
I ing May but after that becomes evening
| star. The planet loses much OF its bill
| liancy, owing to its nearness with the
| moon, which is most marked on the 18th.
| Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are all
! so located during May as TO afford little
| interest to the casual observer.