The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1934-02-15
Short Total Eclipse Of
Sun on Valentines Day
Lapse Of Two Years VIII Follow
Before Next Total One-Good
Eclipse IN 1856

Washing Ion, req. IC-AICer the
st. Valentines day total solar
eclipse. which paradoxically ended
the day before it began will be nee
essary to wait more than two years
for the next total darkening of the
sun by the moon.
While only a few parties of as
tronomers are preparing to observe
the eclipse which this year filings its
shadow across the Pacific and
darkness only two small, relatively
inaccessible islands, the next fol-
lowing eclipse June 10, 1886, will
be visable along path crossing
Europe and Asia from the vicinity
Of Istanbul, Turkey. to China and
Japan.
The following year, June 8, they
will be able to see one again from
the south Pacific ocean. If it is
found there is any island near the
center of the path, it will be a
grand station, for this eclipse will
last, at it's maximum, more than
seven minutes as compared with the
one minute and 40 secons of the
one in August 1882. The longest
an eclipse can last is seven min
utes and 40 seconds, but this al
most never happens. However, the
end of the 1887 eclipse will be seen
from Peru, and there it will last
several minutes so some astrono-
mers probably will observe it from
South america.
In 1910, October 1, an eslipse
track will start in Brazil and cross
the South Atlantic to Africa. The
astronomers doubtless will be sta
toned on both continents. Then
comes one in 1914, September Fl.
This will be seen along a path
starting east of the Caspian sea,
passing over Asia to Indo-China,
and out into the Pacific ocean. Feb
ruary 4, 1913, will bring one with a
track starting in China and cross
ing the north Pacific ocean to Alas
ka. July 8, 1915, one will start in
the northwestern part of the Unit
ed States at sunrise, and will pass
over into Canada a few minutes
later. Then it will pass over Hud-
SON Bay, Greenland, Norway, Swe.
den and Russia. The United States
will not be good place from which
to observe this, but doubtless as
Economical parties will attempt il
from northern Europe.
Sept. 1, 1851, will see an eclipse
start at sunrise along the cost of
North Carolina, then pass across
the Atlantic, but this probably will
not be successfully observed. Ut will
not be total, but annular, in which
Ia ring of sunlight remains visible
around the moons disc. Such an
eclipse is of slight scientific value.
In 1854, June 80, one starts in the
middle west at sunrise, then passes
northeastward, over Canada, James
Bay, Labrador, southern Greenland,
Island, Norway, Sweden, Poland
and Russia. Like the 1915 eclipse,
this will be unfavorable from the
United tSates, but will be fairly
satisfactory from the Scandinavian
peninsular and central Europe.
Probably the eclipse most earger-
ly awaited, and certainly the best
in the twentieth century, is sched-
uled for June 20, 1855. This is the
repetition, after the 1S year and
u-day period called the "saros," of
the 1887 eclipse, and it Lasts even
longer. It starts in the Indian oc-
can, crosses the southern tip Of
India, Indo-China, Siam, and the
Philippine Islands. Then it goes
out into the Pacific ocean. In the
Philippines it passes close to Man
lila, and there it occurs at noon,
with the sun almost in the zenith.
ConoiLIons hardly could be better,
and the total phase will last for
seven minutes and 10 seconds. If
the present scientific interest in
eclipse continues unabated, this
should witness a greater concentra-
ton of eclipse observers than ever
before.
After the 1868 eclipse, the next in
the United States will be in Florida
on March z, 1870. Then will come
one on Feb. 26, 1879, passing across
Washington, Montana, North Dako-
ia, Canada HUDSON Bay and north