Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-05-21
SOLAR ECLIPSE
ON AUGUST q
WILL BE TOTAL IN A PART OF
EUROPE AN DASIA AND PAR
TlAL IN NoRTHEASTERN AMER
ICA-SCIENTISTS ALL ATTEN
TION.
MOON CROSSES SUN
PROF. {. 6. ABBOT. HEAD OF AS
ECONOMICAL BRANCH or
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE GIVES
INTERESTING DETAILS.
tAssociotcd Press Correspondcpcc.)

tAssocidtcd Press COrroSpondcRcc.)
Washington. ID. C.. Mas l9.-The ec-
llpse OF the sun on August II next
total III part Of Europe and Asia and
partial ia northeastern .AIncrica-is at
tracing the widespread attention of
ASTRONOMERS and scientists. various ex-
peditfons being arranged ~ witness
this phenomena. In view Of the public
interest IN The event. rofessoT &. G.
Abbott. head OF the astronomical
branch 81 thc Smithsonian Institution.
phenomena. gives the following popu-
lar accoun vi the echpsr. and the Sci
entific results sought from such events
On August |. 1914. the moon will
pass exactly between the earth and thu
sun, and there will be a total solar
eclipse. Ii will not be observed H.
America, except as Il small partial
eclipse at sunrise ia the nosihrTn
states and Canada. but ia Persia. Rus
STA and Scandinavia the full eftest will
he seen.
Although the moon looks about the
same size rs the sun, II Is very much
smaller and nearer. 'fHe sun Is $4,000
m,les IN diameter and 2 3.OOO.OOU miles
away, while the moon is .163 mics
diameter and 239.00O miles away On
account of the noon : small size com
pared with the sun the shadow casp
by the is a rome. and the point
Ut this conc jus; barely reaches ihc
earth.
I'm the August eclip~. the diameter
of the conc III the carih's surface i
only about ~ miles. 50 that the eclipse
is visible a. total only IN "A belt about
30 miles wide stretching over tAc culln-
tries named r,ove. The important cities
Of Biilist. TrehiZond. kicf. Minsk. and
Riga lc near the center oi this belt.
Ii passes about Il hundred miles north
Of Stockholm and Trondhcins. The
eclipse will be- seen as partial over a
very wide area. including northeastern
America. Greenland. Europe. half of
ASH and half of Africa. Within this
region only a portion OF the sun disk
will bo hidden by the moon.
Wherever the solar eclipse is seen
M total. the sky will become nearly ~
dark as tuli moonlight. and Il few oi
the brighter stars and planets man b.
seen. The duration ~ the tOtality y
longest near kicf in Russia. where il
is minutes IL seconds. Sometimes H.
moor and sun occupy such position that
although the moon passes directly be
tween the earth and the sun tn, shad-
ow con does not quite reach the earth
Such solar ccllpscs are called "anEu-
lar and are nowhcrr total ccilpSeS. I'm
the most favorable ease "A total eclipse
May Isl over minutes at Il station,
but such occasions are very rare. The
very long toal eclipscs OF tins century
are as follows:
Date: May ~. 1919. Duration &C.
minutes. Region: Peru, brazil. Central
Africa.
Date: June :. 1857. Duration: II
minutes. Region: Pacific Ocean. Peru.
Dste: june ~. 1858. Duration =
minutes. Region: Ccylon. Siam Phil
pplnes.
Date? June N. 1913. Duration -
minutes. Region: South America. IL.
rica.
Date July II. 1901. Duration a
minutes. Region. Pacific Ocean. lla'
wall. Central America.
There will i.c rotal eclipse. vishl.
in the United States on June :. 1918
September 10 1929. aud Januar. -
1899.
As the glare Of the sun IN the sky i
removed. and yet The moon har'il'
more than covers the sun. II II posi-
bic at times of total solar eclipses &
see all the celestial objects near III
sun These cannot H. seen at othts
times because they are lost in IN,
bright sky light. II j. this which make