The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1918-06-06
PLANS MADE
FOR ECLIPSE
PARTIES WILL WATCH FROM HILLS
Others Plan The DalleS Trip to Avoid
Clouds Astronomer Gives Sug-
geStiOnS for Observers

SCNtiuHS tOi UuSSlfViN
Numerous Hood River people are
making preparations for viewing the
total eclipse of the sun here next Sat-
urday. Many will 90 to the high points
around the valley A number of fam
lies have planned to motor to Maseo
county points in case clouds obscure
the heavens here. Others have planned
on a trip to Glenwood and Trout Lake
near the centre of the zone of totality.
The moon will begin to cross the sun at
Hood River at about o clock, present
daylight saving time. The total eclipse.
| lasting about minute, will be seen /
from Hood River at Just about |
O'Clock.
To those who wish to observe the |
eclipse, the following information, |
taken from an article written for the
University of Denver Bulletin by Dean |
Herbert A. Howe, professor of astron-
omy, will be of interest:
| AT first one sees slight flattening |
of the suns round disc on the right |
hand side below the centre, as if it had |
been smitten by mighty sledge ham
mer This tlattening grows, and it |
soon becomes plain that the advancing |
circular edge of the moon is slowly |
eating into the suns face. The heav- |
| ing pillows on the suns surface toss
about in their usual fashion. Great |
storms, which we call sun spots, rage
with their accustomed fury. The Jag
ged mountains on the edge of the moon
push their way onward, hiding the so.
| Inx 4,tg ta,n st.l
vancing sphere is no longer, as Shelley
describes it
THAT orbed maiden, with white fire
laden,
| Whom mortals call the moon.
For the softly radiant face of the
Queen Of Night has given way to a
visage as black as Death which moves
forward with relentlessness which
betokens the entire extinction of the
King of Day.
In about an hour the sun is reduced
to narrow crescent like the moon
when it hangs low in the west. AS the
sunlight flickers through the leaves of
the trees, tiny crescents, like baby
moonlets, simmer and dance upon the |
green turf below. Faint and curious
shadows run in rows along the ground
and up the sides of houses. A swift
darkness descends upon the earth.
Away in the northwest the shadow of
| the moon rushes toward the observer
with frightful velocity over the hills
and valleys. 1t even climbs the steep
Of the sky. The light blue of the
heavens turn to indigo and stray cloud
lets are engulfified in sudden night.
The indigo dome overhead rests on a
lurid reddish yellow base around the
horizon, and the whole immense struc
ture seems to be falling toward the
observer.
The sun gives a last expiring flash of
rosy light, and the moon, now of inky
blackness. is encircled by a pearly
aureole of softly cleaning radiance
A chill like that of night comes on.
The faces of the behoders grow ashen,
and their tongues are hushed in awe.
A few stars and plantets, bolder than
the rest, peer down through the un
canny darkness. Perchance tiny gusts
of wind flirt about in disconcerting
fashion at times, however, there is a
dead calm. as if nature herself were
holding her breath.
Suddenly there comes flash of light
from the sky. The observers Whirl
about to see the shadow leaping away
toward the southeast. Their lips burst
into Joyous eXclamations of delight.
The landscape lights up the birds be
gin to carol. Nature gradually re.
sumes its wonted aspect, and men go
about their wonted occupations.
While the sun is only partially COW
cred up one may look at it through a
pinhole in piece of paper, or through
a dark glass. A glass may be easily
smoked by candle or oil lamp. 1t is
best to have the glass so Opaque that
the sun looks rather dim through it.
If one uses an opera glass or spy glass,
the dark glass should be placed be-
tween the eye and the telescope. One
must be very careful to have the glass
so dark that the sun does not dazzle
the eye at all.
During the short time when the shin
ing body of the sun is entirely obscured
by the moon, one may see small red
dish flames shooting up at a few points
around the suns disc. These are called
solar prominences and are largely eXu-
dations of hydrogen gas. The entire
sun will be seen to be surrounded with
halo of glory stretching out irregu-
larly in all directions. Near the sun
this is quite bright and is likely to be
brighter than the full moon in a cloud
less evening sky; but it fades away
rapidly as it extends outward 1t is
called the corona and is so attenuated
that comets have been known to
plunge through it without appreciable
change of their velocity. 1t is safe to
look at the corona and prominences
without any dark glass, even if one
uses a small telescope, which should be
| so mounted or held that it will not
| tremble. If an opera glass or spy
glass be simply held in the hands. it
| will not be sufficiently steady to give
| the best view. One may see the faint
outlying portions of the corona by
Il looking a little to one side of them,
instead of straight at them
Il When the first flash of sunlight
comes at the close of the totality the
eyes should be instantly turned away
or closed until they can be protected
/ by dark glass.
II During totality the planet Jupiter
\ may be seen just above and at the left
/ of the sun, at distance of five de-
Il grees, or ten times the moons diam
/ eter. Twice as far away, below the
II sun and at the right at distance of
II ten degrees, the ruddy star Aldebaran
II will appear. Ten degrees to the right
II and below Aldebaran, the coy planet,
II Mercury, rarely seen by casual star
II gazers, will shine forth. Nineteen de-
Il grees at the left of the sun and little
II lower down Betelgeuse, the giant star
II is one shoulder of Orion, will be visi-
II BILE. Almost directly above Belelgeuse
II and 35 degrees from the sun may be
III seen the twins, Casio and Polux.
II Before the sun is entirely covered up,
Il and also after totallty, it will be inter.