El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-11-28

IOLal lunar tCllpSE0 AAAeA2 w
aseertaining many facts IN reSaIItt ~
our moon that are Impossible 10 oDCe I
at other times. SUCH are LOT eA eIiIPse
its power of radiating heat us ecHPs1tS
Of faint stars, and hence more accg 81
values of its size and position, ana ny ny
change undergone by sunlight WhlCn
has passed through great paIL u u IL a.
own atmosphere and given the IiloOii 4'0
beautiful copper color
But it is in regard to total SOAR
eclipses especially that our moon 10 ,' %
such exceptionally great utlIlIy 10 u9
These total eclipses OF inc 81 O.
caused. as we know, by Ihe en-, iIlo IN sncb n
ing between US and the sun N SUI "
way as to cut off all its Hgnt anu dP--
parently to cover it completely
That such total eclipses Of the sun
are of the highest value TO scIeICe 10
evident from the fact that astronomers
travel thousands of miles to observe
them. A total eclipse OF tHe sud G ~
closes to US its magnltlcenl CoL - OtI't' II t
feature and nature OF WIlGu 1870 L. ~
studied at any other time II eAd US
to see small bodies close 10 Une sun
and even large planets in unwonIed Pc
sitions and illuminauons.
EruptfOns on sun.
Only at such times may the promlh-
ences, or flame like erupllons on t tHe
suns edge, be seen usually. ana the
moment of the beginning and enalng OF
totality gives US the flash specSr uIn,
which reveals to US the very IoWeSS
layer next to the suns suaLaG ,,. ~, ~
finally there are effects upon magne-
tism, the elements of the WeatneI, anu
many other data that are worth lhVes-
tigating.
Now to cause a total eclipse OF the
SIM the moon must appear exactly as
LARGE or a little larger than the sun If
the moon were smaller, no maILef now
little that might be, there W0uIu never
be a total eclipse. the ecIlpsS theh
would be an annular, or ring ecIIpse,
which tells US nothing about the sun
constitution, because in sucn an ecIIpSe
it is impossible to see the corona, OL
the other hand, if the moon were very
much larger than the sun II Wou1u
cover not only the sun itself, put us
surroundings also, so that such I0lal
eclipse would be OF no sclenllIc NaIue
Both bodies change their distance from
the earth, so theiI. relative sizes are
subject to such a beautiful variation
that we have every variety OF solar
eclipse.
Moons Size, Distance, Density.
To make the moon appear to US ex-
actly as large as the sun, there mas 70
be a harmonious combination OF as
. lance length of month, diameter, mass
and density. This comDlnalon Is SO
wonderful that, not only mas II no uu-
25 satellites that we know to exist, but
its elements are so interviewer that we
cannot change any one Of them without
DESTROYING much Of the moon uIlnty
or even DEluBlu5 dDOuL AAeeN1tA Jus I'm
sequences. For example, II we We're 10
tamper with what seems to be the most
insignificant factor and lessen lhe
moons density (Which is O.6 that OF the
earth and "a times that of water), then
it's mass would also be lessened, the
earth and moon would attract each oLn-
er less, the moon would not be DenI OH
as much from its tangent line, II Would
move in a less curved orbit, that is, u
would go farther away, move more
slowly, have less power to raise udess
appear smaller and would therefore not
be able to cover the WhoIe sun anu
cause a total eclipse. If on the con-
trary we were to increase the density,
the moon would come nearer, appear
larger, cover more than the sun, move
faster, lessen the duration of total
tides. Similar results would follow II
we changed any other of the moons
characteristics, or even If we changed
two OF more in a proportionate man
ner.
The Hand of Providence.
Summing up therefore what we have
studied in this article, we see IhaI d
kind Providence has given US moon
that combines so many wonderful chaf-
aCteristiCS of size, distance, mass, uells,-
ity, length of month, durau0n OF VS. VS.
bility. phases, quality OF light, tlde
raising power, faculty of ecIpslng the
sun totally, and probably many more
to De disclosed by future researches, All
whole solar system, and are Of the
greatest benefit to our welfare, and are
adorned with that variety that IS 50
pleasing to US; that we begin TO reallz9
that the more we study the material
works Of God. the more Will our 1alth
in Him be strengthened; and that He
indeed must be a kind rather VINO
gives US such beautiful gllmpses OF his
wisdom and goodness in this life in or
der that we may be induced to observe
His laws and one day enjoy His pres
ence face to face forever
Planetary COnfiguratiOn.
Dec. 4. 1886 a m. Saturn and moon in
conjunction. Saturn south degrees %
minutes.
Dec. 4 Venus in ascending node.
Dec. 6. 1911 p. m. Neptune and moon
in conjunction. Neptune south de-
grees So minutes.
Dec. Z. 500 a. m. Mercury and Venus
I in conjunction. Mercury north q min
utes.
Dec. IS, PAP a. m Venus and moon
in conjunction. Venus north Z degrees
36 minutes.
Dec. 16. 100 a m. Mercury in descend
ing node.
Dec 16, 1914 a. m. Mercury and moon
! in conjunction. Mercury north 4 degrees
56 minutes.
Dec. 16, 1919 p. m. Mars and moon in
conjunction. Mars north degrees AZ
minutes
Dec. 16, 400 p. m. Venus stationary.
Dec. 10 1917 p. m. Uranus and moon
in conjunction. Uranus north 1 degree 6
minutes.
Dec. 20, 6:24 p. m. Jupiter and moon
in conjunction. Jupiter south II min
utes.
Dec. 21, 500 a. m. Saturn at opposi-
ton to sun.
Dec. 22, 9:15 a. m. Sun enters Capri
cornus Winter commences.
Dec 26, 700 a m. Mercury in aphe-
lion.
Dec. 81, 6:13 a. m. Saturn and moon in
TITLE Gil c \