The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1909-11-20
MoonEcIipsei is
Approaching
Event

According to the astronomical cal
culatiOns, residents of Ely district
and in fact of the entire country, will
witness a total eclipse of the moon
on November 27. 1t is said that the
phenomena will be first Visible to
this locality about ten minutes after
midnight, and is expected to continue
in a state of eclipse for from an
hour and a half to two hours. Lunar
eclipses r caused by the passage
of the moon into the earth's shadow,
and while not as frequent as solar
eclipses, the ratio being about three
to two, as far as the. ordinary OBJ
who must content himself with
the naked eye is concerned, it would
appear otherwise, as it is only in
certain localities that the solar
eclipse is generally visible, all things
favorable, from about half the earth.
Even under the most favorable
conditions the solar eclipse never
lasts longer, as a total eclipse, than
about eight minutes, and this is only
in some parts of the equator, while
the moon in total eclipse will last
about two hours, and two hours more
from the time the edge of the moon
first passes into the shadow of the
earth until it passes out.
. Except in times OF storms the moon
is still visible while in total eclipse,
showing a sort of dim copper colored
light, which is said by astronomers
to be sunlight denected around the
earth into its wi shadow by the re-
fraction of the earth's atmosphere.
The partial eclipse of the noon is
much more frequent than the total.
Astronomers say that the partial
eclipse is caused by the moon passing
either to the north or south of the
shadow thrown by the earth without
going directly through it. The aver
age number of eclipses per year is
about four, two solar and two lunar.
1t is said that the smallest number
which may occur is two, and in this
instance both are solar, while the
largest number ever known to take
place within a year was seven. While
the moon controls the tides of the
ocean, it is said that an eclipse has
no effect whatever on them. The So
lar eclipse is much more valuable
than the lunar from a scientific point
VI view III ldCI, WcTc IL uOI LOT LIE
opportunities given astronomers to
study the surface and construction OF
the sun in times of partial or total
eclipse, when the suns brilliancy is
greatly ~lessened, it is probable thai
comparatively little would be known
about the planet which furnishes us
with light and heat.
1t is said, that the present knowl-
edge of the sun was nearly all gained
by observations made during what Ii
called the most remarkable series Of
eclipses in history, between 1860 ant
1871. Most OF the phenomena OBJ
served during this period was more
plainly visible in Spain than in any
other part Of the world. One OF tbs
most peculiar features of the lunal
eclipse is .Ae fact that to the naked
eye the line of the earth's shadow a,
the moon passes into it is plainly
visible and sharply defined, but wher
a telescope is used, instead of grow
ing palmer, this line fades into 1
hazy blur. In the ancient time
eclipses were used to mark events
The date of the Christian era is sale
to have been determined by a lunal
eclipse on the night before Herot
died. The word Eclipse" from thu
Greek, taken literally, is a medica
term meaning faint or swoon.