The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-05-20

Sanford or PinehurSt: and people al
Washington or Weldon could get
good view of the eclipse at Tarboro.
'Tis a sight of beauty indescribable.
impressive beyond comparison. Men
that have been privileged to see it.
ever after tell of its having given
one of life's most exciting moments,
never to be forgotten.
CAUSE OF HE ECLIPSE.
There has ceased TO be any mys-
terry connected with the phenomena
of ecliDses. whether solar or lunar
The moon makes the complete circuit
of the heavens once in about twenty
nine and one-half days; the sun APP
pears to do the same. owing to the
actual circuit made by the Garth,
once in wear. The moon. there
fore. makes more than twelve circuits
while the sun is making one. Con-
sequentlv. the moon must oV0rtake
and pass the sun as many as twelve
times in a year. Sun and moon not
ONLY appear to be moving in the same
direction. but in nearly the same
path. If they moved in exactly the
same path the moon would pass in
between the sun and the earth at
every circuit. and there would be an
eclipse of the sun at every new moon.
But the paths are not directly the
same: so the moon usually goes by
either above or below the sun. There
are points. however. where those two
paths intersect: and if sun and moon
both happen at one OF those POINTS
at the same time, then an eclipse J
inevitable At such time. We're
these two bodies at the same On stance
from the earth. there would be col
lision: but as they are at different dis
tances. the moon being the / carer
of the two. simply shuts off the view
of the sun. and the latter is ecllL;n,..
If the moon were actually smaller,
fore apparently smaller, then there
would be simply a transit" of the
moon. like the Well-knOWn transit
of Venus and Mercury, both C which
planets are immensely more distant
than the moon. That is the moon
would then be seen as I. dark body
passing across the suns face. and
shutting off more or less of its light
according to her apparent size. Now
as matter of fact. we do have
transits of the moon. though they
eclipses' There are times when the
sun is several million miles nearer
than at other times. and when the
moon is several thousands of miles
further off than at other times; if
an eclipse occur at such time the
suns body is apparently enlarged.
and the moons body apparently di-
minished so that the moon fails to
~ 4
of sunlight (called in Latin. annu-
lus) surrounds the moons body.
LASTS TWO AND \ HALF HOURS.
If. on the other hand. the moon
were actually larger. or if she were
nearer and therefore apparently larg-
er. there would be an ocdultation Of
the sun That is. the suns bright face
not only would be hidden from view.
but also that vast brilliant corona
which surrounds his face. and which
is never seen except during an eclipse,
The sun. with an that pertains to
him. would appear utterly extinguish-
ed. and that state Of things would
continue for Il period Of time pro
portionate to the size, or apparent
size. of the moon. During such an
as truly in the heavens by day as
by night: would come out TO view;
and consultations which are seen only
at the opposite season of the year
would be on full exhibition. Planets
which. by reason of their apparent
proximity to the sun. could not or
dinarily be seen. would shine forth
with their proper glory: and this lat
ter fact would be consoling evil
dence that the sun had not actually
been annihilated. since the radiance
of the planets is nothing but the re-
iiected radiance of the sun: if he
were destroyed. they. too. would cease
10 glow.
Now. it is IA remarkable thing that
the distance of sun and moon are
so prOportioned TO their size that
usually the moon fits quite exactly
over the face of the sun. Hence,
instead of a transit or an occultation.
we have an eclipse: il can last but Il
few minutes. and in the present in
stance minute and a half is the limit
of totality, for the moon hastens on
and the sun shines out once more.
However, for a long time it can be
seen approaching and receding: thus
the duration Of the entire eclipse
will be about two hours and half.
SCIENTISTS At PIAEHU RST.
\ telegram from Pinehurst. Moore
county. where a party of astronomers
from Johns Hopkins University is sta
toned. says that although the rain
has interfered with the preparations,
Friday and Yesterday saw the nearly
complete adjustment for the plane
grating and concave grating spectre
scopes of the Hopkins party and the
preparation of the delicate instru
ments for determining the exact sec
ond at which the eclipse becomes
total.
AT Pinehurst The eclipse will be-
gin about .:30 a. IN. The moon will
seem to Overtake the sun slowly and
obscure his light. As one looks at
the sun ordinarily. through a piece
of colored glass. it appears like a
round disk. but as the moon gradually
IL I, 4 a,