THE RECENT ECLIPSE OF THE SUN.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 358, 23 September 1868, Page 3

THE RECENT ECLIPSE OF THE SUN.

A Melbourne journal, the Australasian, of the 22nd ultimo, says:—" In accordance with the announcement made last week, the solar eclipse came off on Tuesday afternoon. The sky in the west at the time of the commencement of the eclipse was partially veild at times with thin light clouds, which sufficiently dimmed the light of the ■sun to permit of its being 'observed with the naked eye, without obscuring it altogether. The consequence was, that at the time of greatest obscuration the eclipse could be distinctly Been with the unassisted eye as an indentation on the right-hand side of the disc. There was not sufficient surface covered to make any perceptible difference in the light of the sun, not so much as the smallest cloud oc casions. Small as was the eclipse however.it excited sufficient interest to induce a large number of amateur astronomers to watch its progress, and many of such observers could be aeen on the sunny side of Collins-street, looking at it through smoked glass. Of course, the small indentation on the orb was all that was to be seen, the obscuration not being sufficient to occasion any of the more remarkable phenomena of eclipses. Along the line of total eclipse, no doubt the many talented observers who were sent out by the various Governments of Europe, were diligently engaged m noting the many and interesting

phenomena which this remarkable eclipse must have exhibited, and their reports will be awaited with great interest."

The Empire describes the eclipse as as visible in Sydney:—"The partial eclipse that was visible in Sydnev commenced at 4 hr. 8 min. p.m., the first contact of the penumbra taking place at a point on the snn's edge, on the northern side of the lower limb, and thence apparently moving upwards, so that the centre and all the southern side of the sun's disc were unaffected. For three or fonr hours before the exhibition of the phenomenon the public interest in it was strikingly manifested, the ordinary appliances of smoked glass being resorted to by almost every housekeeper and juvenile in the metropolis. Light fleecy clouds at some periods obscured the point of obscuration, but upon the whole a magnificent view was obtained of the celestial spectacle. The greatest obscuration took place at 355 p m., when the moon's disc overlapped that of the sun to the extent of about thirty-hundred-ths, as previously stated by Mr.Tebbutt, of Windsor. The sun set behind a deep bank of cloud, about 5 - 25 p.m., with a small portion of its northern side eclipsed. The time during which the eclipse was visible in Sydney was therefore confined to a duration of one hour and seventeen minutes. In point of duration and totality, however, in countries where it was total, this eclipse was the greatest ever known, having no parallel in the records of astromomy. The nearest approach was that recorded byThales. which has teen calculated by Professor Airey to have occurred 2,453 years ago."