The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1905-08-16
TWO EcL1psEs ARE COMING
THIS MONTH.
Man in the Moon VIII Retire on the
Fourteenth

fourteenth
And Old Sol Plays Hide and Seek on
Thirtieth.
Only the Former Which is Partial
Will be Visible in Point Pleas
ant
The chief sstronamicAl evente
of this month are two eclipses one
of the euu and one of the moon,
both of which are visabls in the
United States. The lunar eclipse
comes first on the night of the 14tb.
1t is partial. only about one. third
of the>moon's diameter being i'm
mersed in the shadow. The moon
enters the pneumbra at 8: 8:O9 p M
1ssstern time that is, at this mo
ment an observer stationed at the
proper part of the moon would first
see the sun begin to disappear be-
hind the earth. But it will not
be till some time later that the
darkening of the moons southern
limb will be apparent to the eye
AT 9:39 p. m. the moon enters
the eArth's shadow proper, from
which all direct sunlight is exolud-
ed, and she continues to preps fur
ther into it for an hour and then
gradusIly moves out of it again.
leaving it altogether at 1l:43, and
getting clear of the penumbra at
1:12 a. m.
This eclipse is therefore very
conveniently observable in one
part of the world. but little infor-
nation of scientific value can be
anticipated from 1t, thanks to the
fact that the earth's atmosphere
prevents the edge of the shadow
from being sharply defined, SO that
it is impossible to tell with any de.
gree of accuracy when it reaches
any given spot, on the moon.
Far more important is the solar
eclipse on the Both, which is one
of years. 1t is total eclipse of
pretty long duration, and the line
of central the most interesting ones
for many eclipse passes through
several regions which are oonven-
iently accessible for observing par
ties.
The eclipse is total at sunrise in
Manitob,, just north of the United
States boundary. Thence the
shadow sweeps eastward across
Canada, north of the settled dis
triots. and comes out on the Labrs-
dor coast. 1t turns somewhat to
the southward as it CROSSES the
Atlantic reaohes land again on the
Spanish coast near Cape Finisterre.
Crossing Spain the shadow travers.
es the Mediterranean, passes near
Tunis, enters the African desert,
passes over the Nile near Assuan.
and finally bids farewell to the
earth somewhere in Arabia, less
than three hours after it begun in
Canada The duration of the total
phase Is greatest in Spain, where
it is about three and three quarters
minutes, while it is about two and
one-half minutes in Labrador, snd
a little less than three minutes in
Egypt.
Several parties of astronomers
are going to Labrador, and many
more to stations in Spain and AL
geria, SO that a goodly store of OBJ.
servations may be expected, if only
the weather behaves as we'll as it
did in 1900, when the track of the
shadow on the European side of
the ocean was almost the same as
at present.
Weather permitting great deal
of spectrosoopic and other informs-
ton about the suns surroundings
will undoubtedly be obtained. Per
heps the most interesting observa-
tions from an amatuer'ss standpoint
are those that will be made in the
search for possible small planet
nearer the sun than Mercury by
photographing the whole region of
the sky near the eolipsed sun. THE
has been done at several recent CO.
lipses without result, only known
stare being found on the plates !;
but the brilliant success of photo
r,ta0bio rnaIboJa - GnJ;. 49,