ECLIPSE OF THE SUN.

Kumara Times, Issue 2083, 3 May 1883, Page 2

ECLIPSE OF THE SUN.

A total eclipse of the Sun will occur next Monday morning; and although the awfully grand and interesting phase of totality will not be visible from any part of ftew Zealand, we shall, if the weather permit, see nearly one-third of the Sun’s disc obscured. This eclipse will be especially favorable to astronomical observers, on account of the long duration of totality. The Moon being nearly at pedigree, or that point of its orbit which is nearest to the earth at the time of the eclipse, will cause the Sun to be obscured for one second only short of six minutes. The longest possible duration of a total solar eclipse extends only to seven minutes. But unfortunately in this case the line of centrality is confined to the South Pacific Ocean, and only crosses land on a few very small islands. The island where the longest phase of totality will be visible is called Plint Island; its position is 150° 40' west (from Greenwich), and latitude 11° 30' south; the total eclipse will there last smin. 33sec. At Caroline Island the duration of totality will be smin. 20sec. The line of a central eclipse of the Sun, even under one of the longest phases of totality, covers but a very smal area of the earth’s surface at a time; the belt covered by the shadow of the moon seldom exceeds 2° in breadth, or about 140 English miles; consequently it seldom happens that the same place is included within the tracks of any two eclipses following each other at a short interval. In London, for instance, there has been no total eclipse visible since the year 1715, and more than five and a half centuries had then elapsed since the previous one.

The nearest place to us where the eclipse is total is about sixty miles north, of Auckland. - The San Francisco mail steamers pass very near to the two islands mentioned where the eclipse will be seen to the best advantage. The passengers by the City of New York, Which left Auckland on the 24th nit., may possibly witness the phenomenon of totality. For New Zealand observers the eclipse will begin at about 7 o’clock in the morning; the middle of the eclipse will be at about 8.5 a.m., and the end shortly after 9 o’clock. A longer solar total eclipse will probably not occur within the next 100 years. We learn from the Athenaeum, of December 2nd, that M. Janssen read before the French Academy, on the 13th November, his report to the Bureau des Longitudes on the total eclipse of the Sun on the 7th of this month. He referred to the grand discovery made on the occasion of the eclipse of 1868, of the nature of the rose-coloured protuberances or prominences on the Sun’s limb, which had previously been such an enigma; also to the knowledge which had been acquired in more recent total eclipses respecting the so-called corona. But he remarked that “Much yet remains to be learnt, particularly with regard to the immense appendages to the corona which have been noticed on several occasions. Nor should,” he adds, “ the opportunities be left out of account that may be offered of discovering the small planets which probably circulate in the immediate neighbourhood of the Sun, and could only be seen either when passing over his disc or during a total solar eclipse. No occasion of the kind, then, ought to be lost; but the eclipse of May next is especially favorable in respect of the long duration of the totality, amounting where it is a maximum to only one second short of six minutes.” It may not be out of place to introduce here some interesting remarks for general readers relative to the appearances attending total solar eclipses, by Dr. Lardner, an eminent Professor of Natural and Astronomy, lie writes “ A natural consequence of the diffusion of knowledge is, that while it lessens the vague sense of wonder with which singular phenomena in nature are beheld, it increases the feeling of admiration at the harmonious laws, the development of which renders easily intelligible effects apparently strange and unaccountable. It may bo imagined what a sense of astonishment, and even terror, the temporary disappearance of an object like the sun or moon must have produced in an age when the causes of eclipses were known only to the learned. Such phenomena were regarded as precursors of divine vengeance. History informs us that in ancient times armies have been destroyed by the effects of the consternation spread among them by the sudden occcurrence of an eclipse of the sun. Commanders who happened to possess some scientific knowledge have taken advantage of it to work upon the credulity of those around them by menacing them with prodigies, the near approach of which they were well aware of, illustrating thus, in a singular and perverted manner, the maxim that knowledge is power. Columbus is said to have availed himself of his acquaintance with prractical astronomy to predict a solar eclipse, and used the prediction as a means of establishing his authority over the crews of his vessels, who showed indications of mutinous disobedience. The spectacle presented by a total eclipse of the sun is always most imposing. The darkness is sometimes so intense as to render the brighter stars and planets visible. A sudden fall of temperature is sensible in the air. Vegetables and animals comport themselves as they are wont to do after sunset. Flowers close, and birds go to roost. Nevertheless, the darkness is different from the natural nocturnal darkness, .and is attended with a certain indescribable unearthly light which throivs upon surrounding objects a faint hue, sometimes reddish, and sometimes cadaverously green.”