The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1914-07-09
CAN SEE ECLIPSE OF SUN, AUG.
11ST.
This Will Only BE Partial But In
1913 There Will Re Total One
VISIBLE Here.


Americas attracting the wide:
spread attention of astronomers and
scientists, various expeditions being
arranged to witness this phenomena
In view of the public interest in the
even, Prof. c. G. Albert, head or the
astronomical branch of the Smithson-
ian institute, and a recognized
authority on solar phenomena, gives
the following popular account OF the
eclipse, and the scientific results
sought from such events.
On August 81, 1914, the moon VII!
pass exactly between the earth ana
the sun, and there will be total
solar eclipse. 1t will not be obserV-
ed in America, except as small par
tial eclipse at sunrise in the north
ern states and Canada, but IN Persia
and Russia and Scandinavia the full
effect will be seen.
Although the moon looks about
the same size as the sun, 1t is very
much smaller and nearer. Inc sun
is $4,000 miles in diameter and
100000 miles away, while the
moon is 2,163 miles in diameter and
$4,000 miles away. On account OF
the moons small size compared with
the sun the shadow cast by the moon
is cone, and the point of this cone
lust barely reaches the earth.
Diameter of Cone.
In the August eclipse the diameter
If the cone at the earth's surface is
only about IS miles, so that the
eclipse is visible as total only IN
belt about miles wide stretching
over the countries named above. The
important cities of Bills, Trebizond,
Kief, Minsk and Riga lie near the
center of this belt. 1t passes ABOUT
a hundred miles north of stockholm
and Trondheim. The eclipse will be
seen as partial over very wide area
including northeastern America,
Greenland, Europe, half of Asia and
half of Africa Within this region
only part of the suns disk Will be
hidden by the moon.
Wherever the solar eclipse is seen
as total the sky will become nearly
as dark as full moon light, and a
few of the brighter stars and planets
may be SEEN The duration OF the
totality is longest near k1et IN Rus,
STA. where it is minutes and 10
seconds. Some times the moon ana
sun occupy such positions that al
though the moon passes directly be-
tween the earth and sun the SHADE"
cone does not quite reach the earth.
Such solar eclipses are called annu-
lar and are nowhere total eclipses.
In the most favorable case a total
eclipse may last over Z minutes ut a
station, but such occasions are very
rare. The very long total eclipses OF
century ara as follows.
MAY 20, 1919, SO minutes, Peru,
Brazil, Central Africa.
June 8, 1887, IL minutes, Pacific
ocean, Peru.
June 20, 1885, 7.2 minutes, Cey-
lon, Siam, Philippines.
June 80. 1873, 72 minutes, South
America, Africa.
July IL. 1891, IL minutes, Pacific
ocean, ffawaii, Cenrra1 America.
Total i'm 1913.
There. will be total eclipses visible
in the United States on June 8, 1918,
September 10, 1923, and January "a,
1925.
AS the glare of the sun in the sky
is removed, and yet the moon hardly
more than covers the sun, it is pos
sible at times of total solar ecllpses
to see all the celestial objects near
the sun. These cannot be seen at
other times because they are lost in
the bright sky light 1t is this which
makes astronomers so eager to OBJ
serve total eclipses. The most strik-
ing thing to see is the solar corona,
beautiful pearly light stretching for
away from the sun in all directions,
some thing like the Aurora Borealis
ri
The corona extends from one to
three solar diameters away from the
sun. Its form changes from year to
year in connection with the number
of sun spots which prevail. AS the
present year will be one OF compare
lively few sunspots the corona is ex-
pected to have short but we'll mark
ed solar rays and long equatorial
streamers. In 1918 total eclipse
will be visible in the United States,
and as the sunspots then will be
numerous the corona will extend
nearly equally in all directions.
Formerly it was believed probable
that one or more planets of the solar
system exist nearer the sun than
Mercury, and it was hoped to discov-
er these during total solar eclipses.
But the sky has been so carefully
searched that no objects large
enough to be worth counting exist.
Advance of Science.
Formerly also it was regarded as
necessary to wait for eclipses to see.
and study the beautiful rosy flames
of hydrogen and other bases, called
prominences, which surround the
sun. But these may now be obscrv-
ed at any time by means of special
apparatus. While value of total
cclipses has therefore somewhat d.
minished, there still remain many
studies which are confined to them.
Astronomers make very careful
preparations, and rehearse all de-
tails of their programs lest some of
the precious time should be wasted.
They observe with the eye and the
Photographic plate to determine the
exact time of totality and the form
of extension of the corona. They
photograph the spectrum of the cor
Ona and also that of the bright color
ed ring of light which lies at it's
base just on the edge of the sun.
,,,noc,1ro Tho hri oh pocc nf tho