The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-03-30
ECLIPSE OF The SUN
VIII Be Partial and Visible Here on
April II

April II
An eclipse of the sun, visible here,
will occur April II. 1t will not be
a total eclipse, but what the astrono-
mers call an annular eclipse; that is,
the sun will appear when the eclipse
is central as a ring OF light.
April II New England will be the
favored spot in tins country for a
view of this eclipse. In fact, only
in New England and in Eastern
New York state will the annual
eclipse be visible to this country. In
the other Eastern states the sun al
ter sunrise will be seen partially
eclipsed. the sun for those points OF
view having passed through the an
nular eclipse before sunrise.
AZ Boston and in the New England
states. excepting a portion OF South
ern Connecticut, when the sun rises
the disk of the moon will be seen
slowly creeping across the DISK Oh
the sun. The sun will lappear as
though scailop OF black were paint
ed on one side ot-it
In a few minutes the disk OF the
moon will be wholly over the race
of the sun The sun will then APP
near as a narrow but distinctly de-
fined rim of white light This con
ditiop will last for about four min
utes. Then the disk OF the moon
will be seen to pass off the other side
of the disk of the sun, the eclipse
becoming partial again till the moon
is clear of the sun.
A haunting twilight will overspread
the earth, but there will not be the
awe-inspiring darkness that obtains
during a total eclipse of the sun and
which in ignorant ages terrified men
in the belief that the world was com
ing to an end.
The annular form of eclipse of the
sun happens when the shadow of the
moon, cast as II intervenes between
the sun and the earth, falls short
| of reaching the earth. A total eclipse
occurs when the shadow cast by the
moon does reach to the surface OF
| the earth, the spectacle being visi-
BILE to persons at places on the earth
that are located within the area
where the shadow passes. A penny
held between a half dollar and the
eye and adjusted at proper distance
| from the eye 50 as to make only the
| rim of the half dollar visible, Will
serve as a rough Illustration OF how
the annular eclipse happens, bearing
in mind that the sun is a luminous
body and casts shadow back Of the
moon.
The duration of the total eclipse
depends chiefly upon the size of the
shadow cast by the moon on the
earth's surface, that is, upon the
nearness Of the moon to the earth.
And similarly upon the distance Of
the moon from the earth depends
whether the eclipse will be total or
annuar.
A unique feature will attend the
coming eclipse of April II. Though
it will be an annular eclipse at all
other places where it will be visible,
it will actually be total eclipse at
one spot on the earth. This rare
spot of eclipse totality will be on the
sea, a short distance northwest OF
the coast of Spain. On land this to-
| tally will be visible on the very
northwest corner of the peninsula of
Spain and Portugal.
This results from the fact that,
while the shadow of the moon will
not be sufficiently long to reach the
surface of the earth at sunrise, that
| particular point of the earth during
the middle of the eclipse will be
near enough to the moon for the
shadow to reach II.
But totally will last at that favor
ed spot on the northwestern point OF
Spain but one and one-half seconds
Of time
Some astronomers are planning Ia
observe this total eclipse brief though
its duration Will be The British As
Economical association will send an
expedition via steamship to observe
the phenomenon, a total eclipse be
ing worth the study even under un
favorable conditions such as vii
attend this one.
But the brief moment during which
it will come into view will be
source of anxiety to the observers
Doubtless some of the observers viii
be fated after waiting nerve.rackinl
moments for the phenomenon of the
corona to make its momentary ap
pearance. to wink just as 1t does hap
pen, misfortune that occurred L
the late Prof Young of Princeton
university once when awaiting IN,
arrival Of n special feature OF
total eclipse
At the Harvard Observatory Il