170 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1738, 



A little before the annulus was complete, a remarkable point or speck of 

 pale light appeared near the middle of the part of the moon's circumference, 

 that was not yet cpme upon the sun's disk ; and a gleam of light, more faint 

 than this point, seemed to be extended from it to each horn : Mr. M. did not 

 mark the precise lime when he first perceived this light, but is satisfied that it 

 could hardly be less than -J- of a minute before the annular appearance began. 

 Mr. Short, who was in another chamber at some distance, and made use of 

 a larger telescope, said that he saw it 20 seconds before the annulus was com- 

 pleted. He was surprised with this light at first, and did not immediately re- 

 collect that it proceeded probably from the same crown that was seen about 

 the moon in a total eclipse of the sun at Naples in l605 ; and was observed 

 by many in different parts of Europe in the three late total eclipses, of 1 706, 

 1715, and 1724. 



Most of those who observed the eclipse with telescopes, mention in their 

 letters, that as the annulus was forming, they perceived the light to break in 

 several irregular spots near the point of contact, and that the moon's limb 

 seemed to be indented there. Some express themselves as if those irregular 

 parts had appeared to them in a kind of motion. Such appearances of a tre- 

 mulous motion, in certain periods of solar eclipses, are mentioned by Hevelius 

 and others. 



The annulus appeared to the eye to be central for some time, but in the te- 

 lescope it was always broader towards the south-east, than towards the north- 

 west part of the sun's disk. The breadth appeared much greater to the naked 

 eye, than could have been expected from the difference of the semidiameters 

 of the sun and moon. This was so remarkable, that such a phenomenon must 

 have confirmed those astronomers in their opinion, who imagined that the dia- 

 meter of the moon is contracted in her conjunctions with the sun. This ap- 

 pearance probably proceeded chiefly from the light's encroaching on the shade, 

 as is usual; but whatever was the cause, every body seemed surprized that the 

 moon appeared so small on the disk of the sun. 



It was observed, that the motion of the moon appeared more quick in the 

 formation and dissolution of the annulus, than during its continuance. This 

 is particularly described by Mr. FuUarton, of FuUarton, in a very exact account 

 of the eclipse, as it appeared at his seat at Crosby, near Air, on the west coast 

 of Scotland. He writes, that " the annulus appeared to be nearly of an uni- 

 form breadth during the greater part of the time of its continuance, but 

 seemed to go off very suddenly ; so that when the disk of the moon ap- 

 proached to the concave line of the sun's disk, they seemed to run together 



