Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1900-05-08

since an eclipse has occurred under cir
cumstances so favorable to American as
| tronomers, it viii undoubtedly be wit
messed by thousands of students who
have felt regret that previous exhibitions
have occurred at distances so great as to
prevent them from witnessing the events.
An eclipse of the sun that will be Wis
ible to us can occur only when the moon
is new. At that time she passes exactly
between us and the sun. If an eclipse
should happen when she was at her least
distance from us, say 222, 900 miles away,
the apex of the shadow would pass over
our heads at a distance of many thou
sands of miles. In the first instance the
eclipse will be total along the path made
by the falling shadow. In the second
instance the eclipse will be annular, as
the moon will be so diminished that at no
time will she be able to completely OBJ
scure the sun.
Prof. Langley, who is an authority
upon sun eclipses, is enthusiastic in anti
cipation of the exhibition that is to be
given next May. Such eclipses, he
says, "are impressive and awful to the
last degree and must be seen to be APP
preciated. A total eclipse of the sun is
worth a journey round the world to be-
hold, and repetition does not dull the in
terest."
According to the calculations of Prof.
Lumsden, the round black shadow of the
moon, like great arm, will sweep in out
of space some time after sunrise on the
morning of May % This gigantic arm
win come into contact with the earth
somewhere near the Reyilla Gigedo ISL
ands in the Pacific ocean. With tremen-
dous velocity the shadow will rush to-
ward the mainland and will enter Mexico,
near Corrientes, at speed of more than
100 miles a minute. In eight minutes it
will have crossed the Rocky mountains,
and by 7:30 central or $50 eastern time
it will have crossed the gulf and entered
Mexico. Then on it will pass, over its
selected path, until it is lost again in
space.
In order to witness this phenomenon to
best advantage one should be in the cen
ter of the ground over which the shadow
is to fall The best position is upon the
highest possible eminence, as under those
conditions one is able to appreciate the
tremendous impression caused by the
rushing upon US of such stupendous
shadow.
The period of totally of the eclipse va
ries at different points along the track.
At the Rocky mountains the spectacle
will last but about thirty seconds, and
at New Orleans the period will have been
heightened thirty-seven seconds. At I'm
ion Point, Green County, Georgia, the
center of the path for the United States,
the time of totality will be ninety-two
seconds, while those who are at the At
Iantic coast, just south of the city Of
Norfolk, viii be able to continue their
observations for 105 seconds.
While the occasion will be a most in
teresting one to all who are able to wit
ness the phenomenon to astronomers the
event will be of the utmost Importance,
as there are several questions that they
hope to be able to answer after they
have made their next observations. One
of the most Important problems relates
to the composition and arrangement CT
the various layers of vapor and dust that
envelope the sun as with an atmosphere.
Another relates TO the existence and posi-
ton of what is sometimes called the re
rersing layer"