Omaha daily bee., 1906-02-09
ECLIPSE A BRILLIANT SHOW
Sky Devoid of Clouds and Atmos-
pheric- Conditions Perfect for
Observation.

An ailnent Of general prevalence In
Omaha today will be soreness OF the neck
and there will bes thousands of sufferers.
The cause of the peculiar trouble. to use a
common and expressive term, can be said
to be due to ''rlbbering." AS the only
muscles brought into play were situated in
the neck, in order to look up at the sky the
exercise was unusual and hence left sore
ness. For Luna was on the boards during
the night with a performance of great
merit. For the space of a few hours she
entertained few millions of the earths
population in black face stunt" that en-
titles her to a place with a minstrel troupe.
In ordinary English there was an eclipse of
the moon last night. 1t came off just as
scheduled. The stage was all ready for the
show and the scenery in place, all painted
in deepest. studded with brightest of stars
A better setting for such an exhibition
could not have been desired. The only
fault that could have been found was with
the temperature-but that had nothing to
do with the performance. The thermometer
stood at about : degrees above zero and
kept many Omahans from staying out to
see the free show, but nevertheless there
were many thousands who either stayed up
until the appointed time or had some one
call them out of bed.
1t was nearing the hour of midnight
when the first sign OF something unusual
in the heavens became apparent. The face
of the moon looked slightly unwashed in
small patch, and later il appeared as
though someone had swatted the man in
the moon on the check with a sooty hand.
Still later 1t looked as though he was black
ing up for a darky comedian turn. Grad
ually. however. the disiiguring spot began
to take shape and to resemble the hole
left where an apple had been bitten. As
the hole" grew deeper the moon looked
like the drawing of an eyeball, but the
pupil soon became too large for the
imagination, and there was nothing to
lillen the growing darkness to but plain
eclipse. About l o'clock the whole surface
of the moon was covered with the shadow,
but every portion of it remained distinct,
/ II being of purplish hue and rather red
near the edges. This condition continued
until about $3.50 Luna's bright countenance
| began to peep out on it's eastern side where
the blackness had first made its appear
ance and this continued to spread until
! the whole face was again illumined.
! 1t was one of the most successful eclipses
ever attempted by an astral body The
sky was as clear as crystal all through
surrounding Omaha. Students by the hun.
dreds were out to view the phenomenon
| and they had every opportunity to make
close observations of the progress of the
eclipse. Nearly every house in town hac
its group of observers taking in the won.
der, and so unusual was the view thai
| many were 10th to leave and return tr
bed until the moon shone out again a,
| clear and bright as ever.
| WASHINGTON, Feb. S.-Eecause Of q
heavy snowstorm the officials at the navy
observatory early tonight gave up any hop,
of taking observations OF the eclipse of tn,
moon, which began after midnight anS
continued for several hst srss., III was rainlnt
hard at midnight with no prospect Of clear
ing before morning.
The eclipse began at 1857 a m. and endeC
at i:37 a. IN. 1t was seen in its beginning
In North and South America and western
Europe and Africa. The ending will b,
generally visible in North and Contra
America. western South America northern
Asia and Australia.
AssistGrt Astronomer Gahill of the nava
observatory. said today the observator,
expected to make observations of the exac
time at which some star passes behind tin
moon and emerges again, by which. with ;
knowledge of the speed at which the moor
travels the exact diameter of the moo,
can be figured.