Evening star., 1935-02-03
SsnA M ECLIPSE AUGUST

E CAMERA.
seem to hold their breath, and there
is complete silence which is rather
uncanny.
And then the whole spectacle Is
over. OF course, partial eclipse,
such as will be seen today, is much
less impressive.
Feeling of Awe Inevitable.
Today, even though we know the
cause of an eclipse and are not dis
turbed by Superstitious fear, no one
can escape that overpowering feeling
of awe when the eclipse occurs.
Today's partial eclipse will be visi-
BILE throughout the entire United
States and the Dominion of Canada,
except in the extreme northwestern
part of the latter. The surface Of
the sun will have varying degrees of
obscurity. from 0.739 per cent of its
total surface at the maximum eclipse
to zero per cent at the edges.
Those who saw the total eclipse OF
August 81, 1882. which attracted thou
sands to New England will remember
the lightning speed with which the
shadow of the moon swept across the
landscape. When the shadow just
touches the earth this speed is in
finite and when the shadow comes
upon the spectator as it did in the
1882 eclipse it is travelling at the rate
of about 1000 miles an hour. It is
no wonder that such a spectacle has
such a tremendous effect on the ami
mails, and even human beings.
Partial Eclipse Explained.
In explanation, may I add that a
partial eclipse is one in which the
center of the shadow of the eclipse
does not touch the earth. In other
words, the cone of the shadow sweeps
through space and only its edge
touches the earth. In the coming
partial eclipse the center of the moons
shadow will pass to the north of the
earth so that there will be no total,
or annular, phase to this eclipse
visible at any place on the earth.
If you could locate yourself in space
at point due north of the earth's
center and at distance from the
earth equal to about one-fourth Of
the earth'S radius, the center of the
moons shadow would then pass di-
fectly over you.
In today's partial eclipse the shadow
of the moon will move in a northeast
erly direction, so that while the first
point of contact touches the earth at
point in latitude "a degrees 48 min
yates north, its last point of contact
with the earth will be at a point in
latitude "a degrees 81 minutes.
In partial eclipse, the maximum
eclipse always occurs at point where
the sun is either rising or setting. In
this particular eclipse, this point is in
latitude 81 degrees SO minutes north
and longitude lis degrees 19 minutes
west. This point is on Great Slave
Lake in Canada.
Long Wait for Next.
One very interesting point about
this eclipse is that it is occurring dur
ing most unusual year, unusual be-
cause there will be five solar eclipses
and two lunar eclipses during 1885
There will not be another year until
2485 when we can be certain that such
a combination will be repeated.
The Naval ObServatory'S nautical
almanac Office has made calculations
covering this point. There is bare
possibility that in 1891 this combi-
nation of solar and lunar eclipSes
may occur, but the time required to
make the computations in order to
insure this certainty is not war
ranted, in view of the many other
more important tasks which must be
completed.
Looking backward, such a combi-
nation of five solar eclipses and two
lunar eclipSes occurred in 1905 and
prior to that time in 1855.
Do not forget the advice given to
you two years ago. Do not attempt
to look at the sun with the naked
eye as it may seriously injure your
eyes. Either take piece of glass
and smoke it or, if you do not want
the inconvenience of having a smudge
on your nose, then take an old over
exposed film or Photographic plate.
This will give you very opaque glass
to look through and is by far the best
arrangement for viewing the beauties
of the eclipse.
It is hoped that every one will in
sure that the children of the country
are given ample opportunity to see
this eclipse.
Remember, the eclipse will occur
this morning between 9 and IL. In
Washington, d. c., the eclipse will
begin at 81 minutes after 10 this
morning: that the eclipse will be half
over at "a minutes after IL, and that
the eclipse will end at 81 minutes
after IL. It also shows that when the
eclipse is at the maximum, Al per
cent Of the disc of the sun will be
blotted out.