296 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO I706. 



red streak of light, from his left limb; which continued not longer than 6 or 7 

 seconds of time; then part of the sun's disk appeared, all of a sudden, brighter 

 than Venus was ever seen in the night; and in that very instant gave alight 

 and shadow to things, as strong as moon-light uses to do. 



Captain Stannyan is the first man I ever heard of that took notice of a red 

 streak of light preceding the emersion of the sun's body from a total eclipse. 

 And I notice it the rather, because it infers that the moon has an atmosphere ; 

 and its short continuance of only 6 or 7 seconds of time, shows us that its 

 height is not more than the 5 or 6 hundredth part of her diameter. 



Abstract of a Letter from Geneva, May 31, 1706, N. S. by M. J. Chr. Facia 

 Duillier, F.R.S. to his Brother Mr. Nic. Facio, F.R.S. Containing some 

 Observations of the Suns Eclipse , on the 12/ A of May, 1706. N. S. N°306, 

 p. 2241. 



There was a total eclipse of the sun observed at Geneva, which happened on 

 the 12th of May, 1706, N.S. A little after the sun's rising, the sky seemed 

 clear; though the air was already thick with some vapours. Many little clouds 

 afterwards arose here and there, and the vapours increased much. For want of 

 a pendulum clock, in a convenient place, the moment of the total immersion, 

 that of the first immersion, and that of the end of the eclipse, could not be 

 accurately observed. Though the sky was somewhat overcast, the heat of the 

 sun was already felt, when the eclipse began : but a very sensible coldness 

 took place, as the moon by degrees covered more and more of the sun, and 

 the light decreased. The eclipse was observed only with some glasses, either 

 darkened with smoke, or but little transparent ; and by receiving the sun's 

 image, through a six-foot telescope, which represented the objects inverted, 

 on a white paper, placed at some distance, from the eye-glass. When the sun 

 was near being totally dark, the bright crescent, which remained, was seen to 

 diminish more and more, on the paper, where its image was received. And 

 when that crescent was reduced to a very narrow breath, and to a very little 

 length, it was seen suddenly to disappear : and in that moment the whole sun 

 was eclipsed. At the same time, the darkness, which was already very con- 

 siderable, became much greater. The clouds suddenly changed their colour, 

 became first red, and then of a pale violet. There was seen, during the whole 

 time of the total immersion, a whiteness, which seemed to break out from 

 behind the moon, and to encompass it equally on all sides. The whiteness 

 was but little determined on its outward side, and was not so broad as the 1 2th 

 part of the moon's diameter. This planet appeared very black, and her disk 



