S. 16 50 237 32 10.8 Ds Hourly Motion in R.A. 2 32 4 12 20 2 43 4 57 6:37 8.98 15 33'77 Astronomically the word "eclipse' is applied to the darkening, real or apparent, of a heavenly body, especially of the sun or moon, though some of the satellites of other planets besides the earth are also "eclipsed" from time to time. An Eclipse of the Moon is caused by its passage through the shadow of the earth; an Eclipse of the Sun by the interposition of the Moon between the Sun and the observer, or what comes to the same thing, by the passage of the Moon's shadow over the observer. It will be seen however from the diagram that since the apparent angular diameters of the Sun and Moon are very nearly the same, it is only when the spectator is on or very close to the line joining the centres of those two bodies that a Total Eclipse of the Sun can take place; and indeed even if he be on that central line, should the Moon be in the more distant portion of her orbit, her apparent diameter may be less than that of the Sun, so that even in a Central Eclipse a small view of the Sun is still visible This constitutes what is O's Declination ... 8 30 27.83 " N. 18 32 221 32 S. T's Hourly Motion in R.A. ... I'2 226-6 10 56.5 36'0 56 20 91 8.72 15 21°40 15 45'39 is total on the central line, an observer far from that line will only see a portion of the Sun hidden, as the lines of the diagram clearly indicate. In an Eclipse of the Moon, the Eclipse is due to a real cutting off of light from the Moon. A Lunar Eclipse if total for any place, must usually be total for every place from which the Moon can be seen. Lunar Eclipses are not, however, by any means always total. The axis of the earth's shadow is always directed to a point exactly opposite to the Sun. Did the Moon move accurately in the plane of the ecliptic she would be eclipsed at every Full Moon, but since her plane is inclined at about 50 to that of the ecliptic, she will pass into the shadow and suffer eclipse only, if, at the time of the Full Moon, she is near one of the nodes of her orbit. As this seldom happens, we find that there cannot be more than three Lunar Eclipses in the year (and this only if the Full Moon is at a node early in January), and there may be none, and 1897 is an example of the latter. Usually, however, we have two Lunar Eclipses in the year, total only if the Moon passes fairly character. But even when the Eclipse LUNAR ECLIPSE near to the centre of the earth's shadow. known as an Annular Eclipse, and both the Eclipses visible in 1897 are of this Moans EARTH Pat Proverb-Out of the frying pan into the fre. The Pleiades are occulted January 13, February 9, March 9, April 5, June 26, July 23, August 19, September 16, October 13, November 9, and December 7. The occultations of the Pleiades visible at Greenwich are on January 13, March 9, July 23, October 13, and December 7. The angles are reckoned from the North point, and vertex of the Moon's limb towards the East. * Mars is below the horizon at Greenwich at its disappearance on April 8. Besides the occultations of the Pleiades, the more important occultations of the above list are: ECLIPSES OF JUPITER'S SATELLITES IN 1897. The following TABLE contains the Eclipses of the Satellites of Jupiter which are visible at Greenwich. The Roman numerals indicate the Satellite eclipsed, and the letters D. and R. respectively signify Disappearance and Re-appearance. From August 15 until October 12 the Satellites are invisible, Jupiter being too near the Sun. As they would appear in an inverting telescope. CONFIGURATIONS OF JUPITER'S SATELLITES, 1897. Jupiter is indicated by a white circle, and the Satellites respectively by the numerals. The sign 2 indicates that the Satellite is on the disc of Jupiter, and the black circle that the Satellite is either behind the disc or in Jupiter's shadow. Proverb-Don't count your chicks before they are hatched. ENGLAND. Year. 2. East. 3. N.-East. Dys. Ins. Dys. Ins. Dys. Ins. Dys. Ins. Dys. Ins. 241 41.6 183 24.4 174 20.6 166 19.1 148 19.2 242 43.9 208 30.4 187 25.6 188 24.2 175 26.8 245 42.0 197 26.0 182 24.1 189 26.3 175 26.8 175 25.6 264 55.1 222 32.9 193 25.0 184 22.7 182 22.0 242 52.8 184 30.9 181 24.6 197 26.8 253 49.8 201 28.2 197 25.6 180 27.2 252 57.9 199 27.3 173 20.4 171 21.1 234 53.5 201 33.9 208 25.8 205 26.6 196 32.1 237 49.3 195 31.5 189 27-7 165 24.2 163 24.7 160 24.9 4. East. 5. Midland. RAINFALL AND MEAN TEMPERATURE 1887-1895. RAINFALL-PRINCIPAL WHEAT-PRODUCING DISTRICTS. SCOTLAND. I. North. RAINFALL-GRAZING, &c., DISTRICTS. 6. South. SCOTLAND. 7. West. IRELAND. II. South. Dys. Ins. Dys. Ins. Dys. Ins. Dys. Ins. Dys. Ins. Dys. Ins. 150 21.5 181 38.7 163 24.9 159 28.3 188 32.3 159 28.5 DRIEST, WETTEST, COLDEST, AND WARMEST YEAR. WHEAT DISTRICTS. GRAZING, &c., DISTRICTS. Ins. Ins. 21.0 in 1887 30.5 in 1887 40-2 in 1872 58.0 in 1872 45.5 in 1879 46.9 in 1879 50.1 in 1868 50.7 in 1868 GENERALLY. Ins. 25.8 in 1887 49.1 in 1872 46.2 in 1879 50.4 in 1868 Proverb-The early bird catches the worm. |