National Eclipse

THE GREAT ECLIPSE.—The eclipse of the sun, which takes place to-morrow morning, is one of the great events of the year, and will be made the means of deciding many important points of scientific interest. The Smithsonian Institute, in conjunction with other societies, have despatched expeditions to Astoria, in Washington Territory, and also to Labrador, these points being very favorable for its full and careful observation; but various other points also will afford very favorable views of the phenomenon. In our latitude the eclipse will be but partial. It will be total in parts of British America, north of Oregon, in Hudson's Bay, in the northern part of Labrador, in a line extending across the Atlantic, in parts of Spain, Algeria, Tripoli and Nubia, ceasing near the Red Sea. The eclipse is periodical, occurring every nineteenth year. The first notice of it was in the year 958, when the shadow caused by the moon just touched the South pole. At each subsequent appearance the line of obscuration has been further north. It will continue to appear every nineteenth year until the year 2374, when, on the 24th of April, the shadow will just touch the North pole. That same eclipse will not again appear until a lapse of 12,492 years, when it will begin another series of periodical visitations precisely like that it is now going through. The moon's shadow, during the eclipse, is said to pass over the earth at a speed of 1,850 miles an hour, or four times the velocity of a cannon ball. In this city the obscuration will commence at two minutes to 7 in the morning, and will end at thirteen minutes of 9, having a duration of nearly two hours. During its continuance the planets Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn will be visible together in the form of a rhomboid, an exceeding rare occurrence, as some centuries will elapse before such a spectacle can be again witnessed. The shadow of the moon will first come in contact with the earth at the rising of the sun in the northern part of Texas. Passing along in a northeasterly and then in a southerly course it will quit the American continent at Hudson's Straight, and cross the Atlantic to Spain, about one-fourth of which will be in total darkness for a space of several minutes. Its course will then continue over Africa, crossing the Nile, when it will disappear in Nubia, near the Red Sea. The best place to observe it will be in Spain, and scientific men are congregating there in large numbers. The best place to observe it in this country will be at Astora, [sic] in Washington Territory. Although the daylight will not be materially diminished by the eclipse in this region, still it will be very interesting to observe, and we advise our readers to prepare themselves for the event with smoked glasses. An opera glass, with the glasses at one end obscured by smoke, is also good to look through at an eclipse of the sun.