The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-05-26
THE sun WILL BE
In TOTAL ECLIPSE
NOTABLE AsTRoNoMIC EVENT
EXPECTED ON MONDAY.
An Expert Analysis of the Physi-
cal Constitution of the Sun, and
Some of the Things Astronomers
Expect to Establish During the
Totality of May 20.


From the Pttsburg Dispatch.
A total eclipse Of the sun is one Of the
most interesting phenomena of nature,
but occurring as it usually does over
widely separated parts Of the earth,
and over a comparatively marrow belt
of land, it is by any one person wit
messed but seldom, even by professional
astronomers.
On May rs there will be a total
eclipse Of the sun visible in the south
eastern part of the United States. Its
path, the track OF the moons shadow,
within which alone the interesting
phenomena of the eclipse are visible,
covers a belt about so miles wide, the
center of which stretches in a nearly
straight line between a point a little
south of Norfolk, Va, and another Il
little north OF New Orleans. The time
during which the sun is totally
eclipsed is short, being 72 seconds on
the line Of centrality near New orleans
and 100 seconds near Norfolk.
However, brief as is the Interval of
totality on this occasion, it does not
even under the most favorable cir
cumstances quite equal eight minutes.
But so valuable is the know ledge to be
gained during the few :'conds of
total eclipse, and to be obtained, be it
said, at no other occasion that even
at the risk of clouds robbing him OF
the fruits of his labor, the astronomer
is fully justified in the great expense
of time and money connected with a
distant voyage to observe a total
eclipse of the sun.
A STUDY OF THE SUN.
To understand in a measure the
scientific importance of total eclipse
the problems it may solve--some idea
Of what modern research has revealed
concerning the nature of the sun is
necessary.
The Importance OF the sun to the
life of man has been recognized, even
at the dawn OF civilization, when he
worshipped it as a god, as indeed some
savage tribes do still. However, few
are aware OF our absolute dependence
upon its light and heat. Not only
does every form Of life depend directly
on the sun, but all forms of energy,
except contact electricity, that part of
the tidal wave due to the attraction
Of the moon, and the interior heat of
the earth, have their origin in the
suns rays.
1t is the heat of the sun that moves
the vast mechanism of the earths
atmosphere that evaporates the enor-
nous quantity OF water which de-
scends in the form Of rain or snow,
and the energy of its rays that enables
plant life to absorb the carbon from
the carbolic acid gas in the air and
build 1T into its tissue, while the puri-
fled oxygen is restored to the atmos-
phere. How great the work done by
circulating the water through the at
mosphere Will appear when we consd-
er that II all the water annually evap-
GRATED at the equator were collected
in basin the size Of the United States
1T would fill it to a depth OF about 200
feet. or the power which this would
yield in again descending to the sea,
the 100000 rse-power, which it is
estimated the Niagara Falls would
yield, Is but very small fraction.
ESSENTIALLY OF SUN-RAYS.
How important the chemical action
or the suns rays is, not only to plant
life, but also in purifying the atmos-
phere, is seen from the estimate that
the breath OF man adds annually to
the atmosphere five and one-half bill
nun toilS VI CdIUOIllC dClu gas, WnlCn
IL permitted to accumulate woul
double the normal amount in the air in
about 600 years, and render the pro-
cess OF brea thing exceedingly difficult
Even the heat obtained from coal
which we use to warm our homes and
drive our engines comes originally
from the sun, for coal is known to be
of vegetable origin. Thus in burning
coal we are using the energy of sun
light stored up long before the advent
OF man.
These facts, though interesting, fur
nish no accurate value OF the light and
heat received from the sun. For the
purposes of science definite measure
ments must be made The quantity of
light and heat which falls on a given
area of the earth when the sun Is di-
rectly overhead must be determined.
Actual measurements show that when
the sun is overhead on a clear day
1t VIII light up a sheet of white paper
as brightly as 2Ss000 standard candles
at distance Of 40 inches. A 10000