Solar Eclipse of July 8th, 1842, 175 



Art. XXI. — On the Solar Eclipse of July 8th, 1842. 



A TOTAL eclipse of the sun at any particular place is so unfre- 

 quent, that only a small part of the inhabitants of the earth ever 

 has an opportunity of beholding this, the most sublime of celes- 

 tial phenomena. In April, 1715, the sun was totally eclipsed in 

 London, and in May, 1724, in Paris; but from those years to 

 1900, or during nearly two centuries, the shadow of the moon 

 neither has, or will pass over either of those cities. Nor have we 

 been in this respect, more fortunate. A total eclipse took place 

 in Massachusetts and the central part of New York on June 16th, 

 1806 ; another occurred in part of South Carolina and Georgia on 

 Nov. 30th, 1834 ; the third, during this century, will be total in 

 part of North Carolina, and will happen on Aug. 7th, 1869 ; the 

 fourth, on May 27ih, 1900, will be total in part of Virginia ; and 

 as the average width or diameter of the moon's shadow on the 

 earth, may be considered about one hundred miles, it is evident 

 that during the nineteenth century, not more than one quarter of 

 our territory between Maine and Florida, will see a total eclipse. 

 Strictly speaking, the darkness during a total eclipse, is not as 

 has been supposed, nearly or quite total ; since the moment the 

 moon completely obscures the sun, she appears to be surrounded 

 by a mild but beautiful effulgence, which though not too brilliant 

 to be beheld by the naked eye, sheds sufficient light to render 

 objects distinctly visible. At Boston, in 1806, it is said, about as 

 much light remained, during the total obscuration, as is given by 

 the moon when full, and in Beaufort, S. C, Nov. 30, 1834, only 

 two planets and four stars of the first magnitude were seen, though 

 one of them, Antares, was then only six degrees from the sun. 

 But, although nearly twenty eight years will elapse before the next 

 passage of the moon's shadow over the United States, on the eighth 

 of next July, in a considerable portion of continental Europe, the 

 sun will be totally eclipsed. That this phenomenon will be ob- 

 served with interest by those of our countrymen, favorably situ- 

 ated, cannot be doubted, and it is therefore hoped that the follow- 

 ing results, deduced from along and careful computation, may be 

 useful to those readers of the Journal, who may wish to behold the 

 complete obscuration of the sun, and who are in doubt whither 

 to proceed. On this occasion the centre of the shadow will first 



