364 On the Solar Eclipse predicted by Thales. 



583 B. C. it is SLifficient to observe that, as the ecliptic con- 

 iiinctioa of the sun and moon did not fake place till after 

 four o'clock in the al'iernoon at Greenwich, it is evident that 

 the sun must have set, centrally eclipsed, to i\\mfe^tnard 

 of anv meridian line that can be drawn through any part of 

 j\sia Minor: and consequently the eclipse could not have 

 been central in that peninsula. 



Calvisius does not come much nearer the truth, in sup- 

 posing that the eclipse nieniioned by HcrodfUus is the one 

 which occurred in Ct)7 B. C. For in that which happened 

 July 30th, the ecliptic conjunction took place at 8'' 26' 18" 

 in the niornine, 7»ei'/7? time at Greenwich, or 8'' 23' 53"* 

 apparent time : and the elements were as follow : 



True longitude of the luminaries 3^ 29' 6' 54" 



Sun's declination, niirth 20 3S 39 



semi-diameter 15 54 



Moon's semi-diameter 15 10 



■ equatorial parallax 54 33 



. horary motion from the sun . 27 41 



true latitude^ south 2 17, 



horarv motion in latitude. . . 2 46 



By a triiTonometrical calculation, I find that the sun rose 

 centrally ec lipscd off the toast of Sierra Leona in N. lat. '8^ 

 13' and W. long. 12' 33'. The moon's umbra then crossed 

 the continent of Africa between the 10th and 20th degrees 

 of north latitude: and the sun became centrally eclipsed on 

 the meridian in Arabia I'elix, in N. lat. IS-V'^and E. long. 

 3^ 24'. It is evident, therefore, that this eclipse (indepen- 

 dent of its being anmilw) was not central in any part of 

 Asia Minor. The other eclipse in this year, which took 

 place February 2d, happened when it was near midnight in 

 Asia Minor. 



The eclipse mentioned by Petavius took place July 9th, 

 597 B. C. The ecliptic conjunction happened at 4'' 29' 25" 

 in the morning, mean time at Greenwicli, or 4'' 29' 58'' ap- 

 parent time: and tiie elements were as follow: 



True longitude of the luminaries 3' 9MG'v^2" 



Sun's declination, north 23 28 IS 



— — semi-diameter 15 49 



Moon's seiTii diameter 14 50 



equatorial parallax 5 1 23 



. hrrary motion from the sun . 27 32 



true latitude 41 59 



■ horary motion in latitude ... —2 44 



• [Tn the Phil. Trans, it is pt" 35' 45" -. but wo have the authority of the 

 writer of ites paper to make the above correction. — Ecj 



