The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-05-17
FACTS ABOUT AN ECLIPSE.
A GREAT ASTRONOMICAL. EVENT

GREAT ASTRONOMICAL ItN ENT
Total Solar Eclipse Visible IN the
United States May 2S--The sun
Will Look like Il burning Candle.
New York Commercial Advertiser.
On May % OF the present year VIZ
shall have an oppOl tunity TO see an
uncommon astronomical occurrence
The sun will be totally eclipsed, and
the event will be visible in parts Of the
United States.
Occasionally, as we know, the moon
passes between us and the sun, cutting
OH the latter's light completely. This
we call solar eolipse. Luna ecliDses,
ON the other hand, are caused by the
moons reaching such position that
the earth is directly between it ana
the sun. The moon has no inherent
Orilllancy like the sun 1t shines only
by rejecting solar light: and when
that light Is cut of, the moon simply
'goes out But the sun is self-illumi.
nous, c'nd Is in reality shining Just the
same when under eclipse us at any
other time. In the former, the moon
having suddenly ceased to receive or
reflect light, the eclipse is observable
wherever the moon, il uneclipsed,
would be visible. But at any given
from one-half the earth's surface
Consequently, il u lunar eclipse takes
place ma jority Of the earth's inha abb.
tants have an opportunity to observe, it
and thus lunar eclipse is something
that almost any person can remem Der
tO have seen. But it is very different
with the sun. AS we have said, he
continues to give light when clipsed,
so that Il is only in places where the
sun is actually covered up by the moon
that he will seem to be eclipsed The
moon under eclipse ie like candle
that qas been eXtinguished /; it Is dark
from whatever side we look at it. But
the eclipsed sun Is like burr ing
candle, which will be Invisible to him
only whose view is Obstructed by the
interposition OF some Opaque object.
That opaque object ia the moon
cannot render the sun totally invisible
from more than q tiny circular or oval
spot on the earth's surface. In the
eclipse Of May 28 that little spot will
be only about IS miles wide and IL
the moon were not in motion the total
phase Of the eclipse could be seen no.
where else. But the moon is travel
ing all the time through space In it's
orbit around the earth. So the little
spot is moving, too, and changing it's
position gradually upon the earth 8
surface. Thus, instead OF spot, We
shall have long strip or band about
Is miles wide and by waiting for the
right moment, 1t will be possible to see
totsiity from any point within this
band. The whole thing is much as
though there were huge pencil, with
its point touching the earth, and hav-
ing It's other end pivoted to the sun. II
the moving moon were then also at
tached to this pencil somewhere near
the point, she would draw the pencil
along, and the point would trace out
the eclipse path on our earth. ANY
one standing In that path could then
look along the pencil, and at the pro-
per moment see the moon covering the
sun and obscuring the light. Ia places
situated near this path Of totality, as
it Is called, we shall be able to SEQ the
eclipse, but not as q total one. For
such places the moon will cover the
sun only In part 30 that some OF his
brilliant surface will'remain in sight
The amount OF obscuratlon always de.
pends upon the observers nearness tc
the totality limo. The nearer he is
the more nearly total the eclipse will
be.
On May -28th .the path OF totalitv be-
gins In the Pacific ocean Just west Of
Mexico: There the point of the huge
pencil we have imagined first touches
our earth. 1t then passes esstward
across Mexico, and entering the United
States near New Orleans, proceeds In
northeasterly direction until it leaves
the continent close to Norfolk, Va
Then 1t crosses the Atlantic, touches
. Portugal, and aiterward passes across
Northern Africa, leaving the earth
finally near the northern end of tho
Red sea. In this country the cities O.
New Orleans, La, Mobile, Ala, Mont
gomery, Ala, Raleigh, N. c., and Nor
folk, Va, are all on the totality path
At New Orleans the sun will be com
pletely covered at 7:30 Q. M, while al
Norfolk this will not happen until S:5;
q. m. In the former city totality vii
last 73 seconds, and In the latter 10,
seconds. At intermediate places botr
the time and duration OF totality vii
iall between these extreme values
For places nearer to New Orleans thar
10 norfolk the numbers will be near