El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-05-23
MOON IN ECLIPSE
MONDAY EVENING
Comet Becomes Brighter as
Rays of Moon Are Hid
den by Earth.

On Monday night the moon, our con-
slant companion IN space and nearest
celestial neighbOr, viii pass through
the earth's shadow and be totally
eclipsed, the phenomenon being visible
TO North and South America, the At
lantic and Pacific oceans and in part
to southwest Europe, the western por-
lions Of Africa and the extreme eastern
part Of Australia.
This eclipse will be the second in the
series Of four, two Of the sun and two
Of the moon. announced for the present
year. and It will afford an interesting
exhibition well worth observing should
the sky be favorable; It will also be
the privilege OF observers to view the
imposing spectacle without any optical
assistance whatever, for an eclipse e
the moon may be seen Just as well by
the naked eye, and a telescope will not
be necessary.
The eclipse will be visible from be-
ginning to end throughout the United
States, the weather permitting, and the
moon will remain in the earth's shadow
for three hours and So minutes The
moon will enter the shadow at S:4s
p. m and leave it at 1922 a. m, the
middle of the eclipse occurring ct 1O:34
D. m, mountain time. and the total
phase will continue for almost one
/ hour. AS the moons diameter is a.
vided into II equal parts, called
'digits," the magnitude of the eclipse
will be IS 2-10 digits, so that it viii
be little more than total The eclipse
beginning when the moon is well ele-
waited above the horizon. and at a con-
venient hour in the evening. It will
occur under the most favorable condi-
( lions for observation, and, next to the
! a of HoI avs or 2 rzyiTI ~
the most popular celestial event OF the
year. While the moon is in eclipse the
comet can be seen palmer than usual
Origin of ECLIPSE
The term eclipse" is derived from
the Greek word ekzleipis. which signi-
fes TO fall, TO faint, or swoon away, as
the moon at her full" and period OF
greatest bri1liancy. falling into the
shadow of the earth. was imagined by
the ancients to "sicken and swoon. as
II she were going TO die An eclipse
of the moon is produced by the moon
passing into the earth's shadow. which
can. never occur except at the time OF
full moon" when the moon is in oppo-
sitiOn and rises at sunset. the earth
coming between the sun and moon and
casting a dark shadow over the moons
disk. The earth's shadow being pro-
duced by the earth intercepting the
suns light, and as the sun is more than
1.O0o,0 200 times larger, IT viii be obvious
that this shadow must be conicaI IN
form If small globe or ball be held
in front OF a bright light, and its shad-
ow be allowed TO fall upon the wall or
a screen. 1t will be noticed that around
the dark shadow there will appear a
fainter one The same is equally true
in regard to the earth and its shadow,
the dark shadow being known as the
umbra, while the lighter one is termed
penumbra- When the moon enters the
! latter. or outer shadow. her light, pro-
dueed by rejecting that received from
the sun, is only partially obscUred but
/ If at any time the moon comes within
I the former her light is nearly, If not
almost wholly, obscured, and a total
! eclipse results.