The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1900-04-11
THE COMING ECLIPSE II THE
SUN.
New Iberia and Adj joining Towns
will be in the Path of the
Eclipse, Which viii Occur
on the Morning of
May 28th.
Leszie,s WeeklA.

L(tottc " tt'''J'
Eleven years have past since tn,
last total eclipse of the sun in this
country; eighteen years more are
to pass before the next; conse
quentIy the total eclipse of the
sun, visible in the United States
on the 2Sth of May, being the only
event of its kind within a period
Of more than quarter of a cen
fury, is to be regarded as of great
Importance. Happily, the time
bascome when celestial phenomena
has ceased to be exclusive posses.
sion of q few wise men. Popular
intelligence now extends to the
stars; and, while the reconcile
problems of astronomy are still
left to the mathematical astronO-
mers, even children are coming to
comprehend the general principles
of the movements of the heavenly
bodies.
There has ceased to be any mys.
terry connected with the phenO-
mena of eclipses, whether solar or
lunar. The moon makes the com
plete circuit of the heavens once
in about twenty-nine and one half
days, the sun appears to do the
same, owing to the actual circuit
made by the earth, once in a year.
Sun and moon both appear to be
moving in the same direction, not
only, but in nearly the same path.
IL they moved in exactly the same
path the moon would pass in be-
tween the sun and earth at every
circuit, and there would be an
eclipse of the sun at every new
moon. But the paths are not ex-
actly the same; SO the moon usual
ly goes by either above or below
the sun. There are points, how
ever, where these two paths inter-
sect; and if the sun and moon both
happen at one of these points a..
one and the same time, then an
eclipse is inevitable. At such a
time, were these two bodies at the
same distance from the earth, there
would be a collision, but, as they
are at different distances, the moon.
being the nearer of the two, simply
shuts off the view of the sun, and
the latter is eclipsed.
III the moon were actually small
or, or if she were more distant and
therefore apparently smaller, then
ere would be simply "transit"
he moon, like the well known
Hansits Of Venus and Mercury,
both of which planets are immense
" more distant than the moon.
That is, the moon would then be
seen as a dark body passing across
the suns face, and shutting off
more or less Of It's light according
10 her apparent size. Now, as a
matter OF fact, we do have transits
of the moon, though they are com
monty called ..annnlar cclipses.'
There are times when the sun is
several million miles nearer than
at other times, and when the moon
is several thousands of miles far
Their than at other times; il an
eclipse occur at such times the
suns body is apparently enlarged,
and the moons body apparently
diminished, so that the moon fails
TO cover the face of the sun, and a
ring OF sunlight (called in Latin,
annaIlns) surrounds the moons
body.
If, on the other hand, the moon
We're actually larger, or if she were
nearer and therefore apparently
larger, there would be All occulta-
tion of the sun. That is, the suns |
bright face, not only, would be
hidden from view, but also that
vast and brilliant corona Which
surrounds his face, and which is
neverseenexceptd during an eclipse.
The sun, with all that pertains to
him, would appear utterly extin-
gnished, and this state of things
would continue for d period Of
time proportionate to the size, or
size of the moon. During
such an oceultatien all the stars,
which are Dis traly in the heavens
Dy day as by night, would come