The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-11-25
TOTAL ECLIPSE OF
MOON SATURDAY
DEAN HOWE OF THE U. or DEN
YER GIVES AN INTERESTING
ACCOUNT or THE COMING
ECLIPSE, WHEN IT WILL Be AND
THE CAUSES FOR 1T.

On Saturday night there will be a
total eclipse OF the moon visible in
Fargo. Dean Howe Of the University
Of Denver has given out the following
interesting information regarding this
phenomenom:
Tne sun, shining upon the earth
casts shadow OF the latter through
space. Since the sun is very much
larger than the earth. this shadow is
tapering, the further the cross-section
is from the earth, till It dwindIes, to
point. It's shape, then, is conical
the base OF the cone being at the
earth, and the apex being on the. aver
age, over $4,000 miles form the
earth's center. Now, the average dis
lance OF the. moon from the earth Is
less than 100000 miles, and its path.
in its monthly revolution about the
earth, is such that 1t. plunges into the
shadow of! the earth at times. There
was a total eclipse Of the moon on
June 8 OF this year, and there will
be another during the night which
follows the daylight hours OF Friday.
Nov. rs. The diameter of this
conical shadow, at the point where
the moon crosses it, averages little
over $500 miles, while the moons
diameter is only 2,163 miles. 1t. is
therefore quite possible for the moon
to be totally: immersed in the shadow.
II the plane of the moons orbit coin
cided with plane of the earth's
path around the sun, the moon would
plunge into the earth's shadow every
month and suffer total eclipse. But
as the two planes are inclined to each
other at an angle of about I'VE de-
grees, the moon usually passes above
or below, the shadow each month, and.
thus escapes observation.
The number of lunar eclipses in a
particular year may be as high as
three; In many years there are none.
When the moons edge first en-
counters the earth's shadow, the APP
pearance to US is that a notch mas
been cut in the moons disc. Usually
bathed in sunlight.
The coming eclipse begins at 1911
on the morning of Saturday, Nov.
81. At that time the eastern
edge, Of the moon will strike the
eartlls shadow and notch will be-
gin to form on the moons periphery.
the moon being very high up in the
SOUTH The notch will be a little
above the moons center. Slowly the
shadow creeps over the moons face.
till 1914 a. M, when the latter will he
wholly eclipsed. The total phase of
the eclipse will end at 1885 a. M, and
the moon will begin to emerge from
the shadow. At 1888 a. m. the last
vestige of the dark shadow will van
ish from the moons face, and the
beautiful spectacle will be- over.gg L 4. ..r
While an eclipse of the moon is not
regarded BY astronomers as very
important event, they make a. few sim
pie observations of 1t. The appear
ance of the spectrum Of our collapsed
satellite gives some facts about the
constitution Of our own atmosphere.
A study of the amount Of heat radi-
ated from the moon at different times
during an eclipse shows that the
moon, as would be expected from its
airless condition, radiates off the heat
sent II by the sun very rapidly. At
several Of the leading observatories
accurate observations are made OF the
times when certain faint stars disap-
pear behind the moon -andereappear
again; these data help, determine the
moops diameter and orbit with great
er precision.
However, in the popular mind, the
beauty OF the spectacle will be the
chief reason for looking at it. We
may therefore hope for clear weather.
so that as many as possible may enjoy
a view OF 1t with the naked eve or
with. opera glasses;l