The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-27

As the moon moves in her orbit and the
earth rotates on its axis, the shadow Of
| the moon travels eastward over the surface
Of the earth at the rate Fer hour OF thou
sand miles or more. But the distance Of
/ the moon from the earth and Of the earth
from the sun are not always the same.
and as result the diameter of the shadow
intercepted by the earth will vary.
| Its maximum is 1877 miles, and a total
/ eclipse OF the sun can never under any cir
cunstanoes last longer than seven minutes
and fifty-aight seconds. The length OF time
that the sun Is entirely covered up is gen.
! orally much shorter than that. and this
year will be only three minutes and forty
! five seconds. But how busy those precious
minutes and seconds will be for the astrono-
mers!
SHORT TIME FOR OBSERVATIONS.
An eclipse is not the rare occurrence it is
generally believed to be. for from the nature
OF the case there must be two eclipses Of
the sun every year, and there may be rs
many as five, but the majority of them
are not total. and 80 have no interest for the
astronomers. There are about Atty total
I eclipees In a century, and the sun Is totally
obsoured during the whole Of that time
for about two or three hours only.
1t Is, therefore. simply wonderful that
astronomers have been able to earn as much
as they have about the sun in 80 short a
space OF time. BY comparing the smaller
diameter Of the moons shadow path on the
earth with the whole area Of the earth itself,
we learn how very little likelihood there ia Of
person In any one place seeing many total
eclipses In his lifetime.
As a matter Of fact, there has been only
one total eclipse Of the sun seen in NewYo,k
city since the end Of the eighteenth century,
and in London, before the eclipse Of l75l
there had not been a single one visible for
more than six centuries. Thus. II one wishes
to see one Of these phenomena, it IL neces-
sary to travel at times even to the antipodes
az was the case with the last eclipse observed
that Of 190l-in the East Indies.
AN AWE INSPIRING PHENOMENON.
Those who have never seen total eclipse
can form no estimate whatever of the awe
inspiring nature Of the phenomenon. We
have become so accustomed to see the sun
(unless obscured by clouds) day after day
and year after year, shining as the great
orb Of day, that it strikes almost with terror
to see "the g.'eat dragon swallow up the
sun. as they say in the East.
There ia nothing remarkable about the
beginning Of an eclipse. The moon gradu-
ally creeps over the sun from the west eide,
and II We were not aware Of its happening
the first thing that would probably attract
our attention would he that the patches Of
light fterng through the trees on to the
ground are not tho familiar circles VIC al
ways see, but lit lie crescents-exactc counter
parts OF the sun itself.
About ten minutes before the sun is en-
trcly covered up things begin TO assume
a weird and unnatural aspect. The land
scape appears as II storm might break
at any minute, and the birds and animals,
thinking the end Of day has come, assume
their nocturnal habits. All nature seems
hushed and quiet, as IL in preparation for
some great ca astrophe about 10 take place.
When 10! VIC see rushing toward us from
the west great black intangible nothing
the shadow OF the moon coming at the enor-
nous speed of over q thousand miles an
hour.
A frac, ion Of second after the shadow
IL scen--if seen at ALT Is upon us, the
light OF the sun ia extinguished, as II snuffed
out, and we are in darkness.
But the SUM What a marvellous sight!
Around the black circle Of the moon
street chcs out the pearly gray light Of the
halc-tl,1 c.-cna.
: As in a moment II Ia revealed TO our eyes.
street ching for two or three diameters around
the sun, It Is without doubt the most beauti-
full Of all natural phenomena, and no pen
can fully picture the delicate gradations