-jiihich took place on Septeniher 7, 1820. Sfl 



At Bury in Lancashire, the eclipse commenced at O*" 9' 10",5 

 apparent time at that place, as observed with an achromatic 

 telescope of five feet focus. The latitude of the place was 

 53^ 35' 30", and its longitude west of Greenwich 9' 8" in time. 



Most of the letters which I have received from the country 

 remark that the diminution of liffht was not so great as was 

 expected. The fall of the thermometer towards the middle 

 of the eclipse, was various in various places. I have already 

 stated that, as far as my own observations extended, I could 

 not perceive any diminution : the inspection of the instru- 

 ments was made at intervals during the eclipse. In some 

 places, I am informed, the fell was as much as 10°; and, where 

 the thermometer was placed in the sun, as much as 15". It 

 appears that the power of a lens to ignite gunpowder, was sus- ' 

 pended from 10 to 15 minutes, during the middle of the eclipse: 

 and it has been already stated, that lor about the same period 

 the lens was incapable of producing any effect on the thermo- 

 meter: — an experiment which I believe is new, and which is 

 certainlv worthy of repetition, whenever another eclipse of any 

 considerable magnitude may present itselll 



From the continent I have received some communications, 

 which tend to confirm the observations made by former astro- 

 nomers on this singular and rare pha^nomenon. 



At Frankfort on the Maine, Mr. J. \. Albert observed the 

 eclipse, as follows: 



Beginning 1'' 14",0 1 



Do. of the annulus 2 37 ,0 [ . 

 Middle of do. 2 39,45^^^''''''"''""^ 



End of do. 2 42 ,30 J 



At the observatory of the Grand Duke of Baden at Man- 

 heini, M. Nicolai observed the eclipse as follows : 

 Beginning of the annulus 2'' 37' 37",8"1 

 End of do. 2 42 32 ,0 V Apparent time. 



End of the eclipse ... 4 50,0) 



The actual t()rmation of the annulus was very remarkable : for, 

 about a second before it occurred, the fine curve of the moon's 

 disc, then immediately in contact with the edge of the sun, ap- 

 peared broken into several parts : and in a moment these parts 

 flowed togetlicr like drops of water or quicksilver placed near 

 each other. At the dissolution of the annulus, a similar aj)- 

 pearance presented itself: for the delicate thread of light then 

 formed by the anindus, instead of being broken in otic i)lace 

 only, was in an instant divifled in several jilaces at once. The 

 thermometer (reduced to l"\ihrenheit's scale) was at the com- 

 monceniont of the eclipse at GGi, and fell towards the middle to 

 63, l)ut afterwards rose again to Gfii. At 



