The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-31
ON TIME
Splendid View of 1t Had
in Raleigh.
Only Partial in Eastern Half OF United
Stntes, the Foreign Countries Being
in the Line of TotaIity Where the
Scientists Were at Work.


out for it and yesterday morning got
in between the earth and the sun,
and gave mortals a view of what is
termed an eclipse.
In this country all along the At
lantic SeabOard and as far west as
the Mississippi river there was only
partial eclipse, the total eclipse begin
ming at sunrise in Manitoba, going on
to James Bay and Labrador, then
across the Atlantic where at MONDAY
there was an eclipse in Spain. Later
the same thing occurred in northern
Africa, ending with sunset in Arabia
on the edge of the Indian Ocean. THIS
total eclipse covered a track about 40
miles wide.
In Raleigh and in this section of
North Carolina, as well as at points
northWard to Canada and southwark
past Cuba the eclipse was a partial one
beginning about sunrise, while near the
Mississippi it ended at sunrise, the in
termediate points having the middle
of the eclipse at sunrise.
Early risers in Raleigh yes
terday morning saw the dark edge of
the moon cut into the view
of the sun very shortly after
half past five o'clock and just after the
sun appeared. The sky was. cloudless
o,eIntu to move down over the face
of the sun in southeasterly direction
and then straight east, till the sun was
about tWO-thirdS covered and nothing
but a crescent was to be seen. This
was about half past six or twenty-five
minutes to seven, and then apparently
the moon began a side step, seeming
to go first to the west and then to
the southwest these terms of direction
being applied to the movement as IN
dictated on the face of the sun as Il
| fiat object as it was rising in the
east. Finally at 1926 the moon had
passed from between the earth and
| the sun and the rays came down to
earth as if nothing had happened.
In various sections of Raleigh peo-
pie were out with smoked glass during
| the entire movement, and watched it
closely. A reporter of this paper took
| in the sight from the capitol and had a
fine view, being joined when the eclipse
was at it's height by an early rising
newspaper carrier who had fnlShed
| his morning rounds. The two fellow
| craftsmen discussed astronomy, the
sun. the moon, the earth and had a
| jolly good time in seeing the sight.
One curious thing to note in an
! eclipse is that the light from the sun
| being allowed to pass through mole
| even as small q one as a pin hole IN
| a paper, makes a spot in miniature just
as the face of the sun SHOWS. When
there is no eclipse this spot of light is
round, but as the crescent is made by
the moon getting in between the earth
| and the sun the spot takes on the cres-
cent shape. At one home yesterday
| morning it was noticed that the sun
spots on the piazza floor, coming
through the lattice work were all
crescent shaped during the eclipse,
the crescent being palmer of course
when the Eclipse was at its highest
| point.
Astronomers at many points yester
day studied the eclipse and took pic
lures of it, this in the path of totallty
THE best opportunities for 1nVeSugatlon
were in Spain where the tOtality was
three and three-quarter minutes. me
narrow path was thickly studded with
telescopes. scientists gathering from
all over the world-from the United
States. England, France, Germany
Italy. Spain, Holland, Russia and ia
pan. The chief parties in Spain
those prepared for the greatest range
of work-were from the United states
Naval Observatory, from the Lick Op-
servatory of California and from the
Royal Astronomical and Royal So
cieties of England
The principal questions studied by
these men is first concerning the
corona and what it is, and second con-
corning the suns atmosphere. what
are the conditions of the gases which
compose it and how high do they eX-
tend above the surface of the sun.
There are others, but these were the
special ones. Photographs of the CO.
roma were taken and these will be
scanned and studied at leisure, big
and little cameras having been used
at different points on the line OF
tOtality.
It's a long time to the next eclipse,
but by that time much more will be
known of the sun and its environ
ments. In the meantime for months
to come the magazines, big and little,
small and great, as we'll as the illus
trated papers, will give pictures of the
eclipse of yesterday, and all who are
seeking for information will have 1t
ready at hand. The eclipse was a sue
cess, came off as scheduled, the world
joys along as before, and we move