The Eclipse

Feilding Star, Volume VII, Issue 38, 8 September 1885, Page 3

The Eclipse

To-morrow morning at about 6.30, the light will begin to be eclipsed over the narrow strip of New Zealand, one hundred miles in width, which is intersected by Cook's Strait, In Feilding, if the sky is at all clear toward the N.E., we will enjoy the "fare opportunity of witnessing the most impressive of all the varied phenomena that nature ever presents. Dr. Hector says: "In the lower ttnipiflig a total eclipse of the sunlight for e*Ven a few seconds, excites fear and distress. In the savage it awakens awe, to the ignorant it lends force to their superstitions, but to the trained intelligence it is an occasion

for the .keenest exercise of thepercep-

tive faculties. On the occasion of the forthcoming eclipse the sun and moon will be -both north of the equator •while the shadow sweeps over to the

Southern Hemisphere! and the total -obscuration of light will last lmin "58sec. A short interval certainly, but ''Jfetpne.: quite sufficient to display ' many phenomena of striking interest; The only land tiM will be crossed by iJfte of tie moon'jß. shadow cone r b?th*t between Cape Farewell, on the "W^st* to Castlepoiht ori'the £jast Coast, a'^ejfprin pf 'the shadow this part I»f the. earth's .surface will: be an el-

ongated fj^ng N.E. and S:W., <( .l)u^in its onward progress the shadow * will' paw to the south-east. The .central line of total eclipse in the North Island will cross from Otaki to Cashpoint, and the hitter being further to the eastward, and therefore haying the morning sun higher in the heavens, will be the most favored spot. But the centre line also passes through Bangitumau, an easily ac-

cessible hill 2000 feet high, about 10

miles north of Masterton, and this will probably be one of the most valuable stations. The line also intersects Mount Crawford, one of the kigh peaks of the Tararua Mountains, the view from which commands the the ocean on both coasts j and from this point of view important phases of the phenomena will be visible, and particularly the rapid progress of the intense inky shadow through atmosphere and over the earth at a frightful speed may he witnessed, if the weather is clear under the most favorable circumstances.

{Rub duration of darkness on the Ajjjnj^ljgie will be, as already stated, : im^ftiMM, but owing to the form of QjfrtibM&W even as far south as Wellington.,* 'Its duration will b 'znin Slsec and in Nelson lmin 1 lsec." To the here it will begin to cover sun's disc from W. to E. at 6hr 29min 31 sec a.m. and at Bhr 46min 20sec it will end, "If the morning is fine and clear the scene will be impressive beyond description. The landscape darken with a tint quite unlike that of the dusk of evening, and produe© a feeling of intense sadness. Colors will become distorted and the daces of men will assume a livid hue, &wls will, roost, and flowers will close. .The last total eclipse visible iv New jjj&laad was at 5 p.m. on April sth, Iflfig, and another will sot occur till 2 n.m. on December 12th, 1890.