ECLIPSE OF THE SUN.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1617, 14 November 1882, Page 3

ECLIPSE OF THE SUN.

The partial eclipse of the Bun was plainly visible in Waikato on Saturday. The weather was clear and bright botli on that and the succeeding day (Sunday). The following account of the phenomenon was supplied to the Herald by Mr S. J. Lambert, F.R.A.S :—Tlib: — TIib partial eclipse of Saturday to which the attention of so many of your readers was directed, proved an occasion of more annoyance than of pleasure. If there is one thing more than another vexatious to the astronomer, it is, after he has expended much time and labour in an astronomical prediction, to be denied often the full pleasure of enjoying the fulfilment of such prediction. Yet, it is more often than not the case, and Saturday was but a poor exception to the more general rule. At the time of Hrst contact the sun was unclouded, but it soon became apparent that it would not long remain so. At 10 ."> the dai k body of the moon was in apparent contact with one of a group of sun-spots ; but just before the central one was reached, tlio sun became obscured by cloud, and the further progress of the eclipse was only seen for transient intervals through partial breaks in the intervening covering. Towards the end ot the eclipse the cloud's density lessened, so that the last contact could be observed, but the observation was not crood. An it regularity in the dark outline of the moon was very noticeable during the first part of the eclipse. The next phenomenon of this kind visible in New Zealand \\ ill take place on the 7th of May 1883.