Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1916-02-17
some ADVANCE
PLANETARY NEWS
TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN
: s0F JUNE 5, 1878. OF
PECULIAR INTEREST
TO THIS SECTION.

The following, which was recent,
received by Mr.. and Mrs. D. c
Chase of this city, from their son
in-law, Professor j. H. Moore, OF tn.
Lick Observatory, at Mount Hamilton
California, is considered OF sucf
peculiar interest to our particular vi
cinity that the Enterprise is per
mitted to publish 1t In full:
TOTAL ECLIPSE OF SUN IN 1918
1t may be OF interest to the resi-
dents of the Payette Valley to know
that they are to witness one of the
most striking of celestial phenomena
ON the afternoon of June Sth, 1918,
when at minutes after four (moun-
tain time), the Sun will be complete
ly obscured for one minute and TWEEN
ty-two seconds. From the data given
in the American Ephemeris and Nau-
tical Almanac for 1918 which has just
been issued, the path of this eclipse
is easily followed on the map. II
you viii draw a line through the
towns of Heppner and Baker City,
Oregon, Haley and M0tpelier, Ida
ho, this line represents the central
line of the Moons shadow across
the states OF Oregon and Idaho
along which the duration of the total
phase is greatest. You viii see the
town of Brannon, north Of Payette,
lies very nearly on this line and here
the Sun will be completely cut off
for one minute and fifty-two seconds.
For some thirty miles, n either SIDE
of this central line, the eclipse VIII
be seen as a total one, but the dura-
ton Will be shorter the farther one
is removed from the central line,
Payette, for example, is about 20
miles from the line and here, as
stated before, the total phase lasts
one minute and twenty-five seconds.
Outside of this belt the eclipse will
be only partial one, that is in Cald-
well, Boise, etc., which are more
than thirty miles from the central
line, the Sun win not be completely
obscured.
I During the 18th century there were
eight total eclipses of the Sun visi-
BILE in some part of the United
States. The one of June Sth, 1918,
is the first of eight to be seen in
the United States during the goth
century. AS they do not occur at
the same station on the average
more than once in $50 years. he is
fortunate who sees one, even. in al
life time.
A total eclipse of. the Sun is OF
great interest to astronomers, since |
We are able at this time to make
certain observations of portions of
our Sun or regions near it which
IAN be made at no other time. For
instance the solar corona, extending |
put from the Suns surface to dis
.ahSes of over half a million miles, |
anA whose streamers have been
raced as far as nine million miles,
S too faint to be seen except when
he Light from the Suns surface is
,ut off as in a total eclipse. During
.otality it is easily seen with the un-
aided eye as halo or glory of
light surrounding the Sun. 1t has
been. well known from the remotest
lines, and Is described as one OF
he most beautiful of natural phe-
somena. The study of its form and
,hanges, its constitution, and con-
lection with the Sun offers problems
which attract the astronomer. There
IRE numerous other observations,
such as studies of the heights at
which various chemical elements lie
n the lower atmosphere OF the Sun
'tc., many OF which are very techni-
al but which form very important
,art in the contribution OF knowh
'dge Of solar phenomena.
In order to secure these observa-
ions the Lick Observatory has sent
xpeditions IN past years to Chile,
ndia, Spain, Labrador, Egypt. Suma-
ra and in 1914 to Russia. The eclipse
+ February Sd OF the. present year
yas total IN Columbia and Venzuela. Il
region very unpromising on account
( tropical rains, and was therefore
not observed by any pro-
astronomers. AS the eclipse
{ June sth. 1918 passss over SEC
lon Of country offering good pros
scts Il olssr vsathsr end o0> which /