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ECLIPSE OF MARCH 30-31, 1885. 
By A. B. Biaas, Launceston 
(Read April 14, 1885.) 
Before giving my notes of the recent partial eclipse of 
the moon, I wish to refer to the total lunar eclipse of last 
October (not visible here). Reports from observers of that 
event nearly all agree in laying stress upon one particular 
characteristic, namely, the absence on that occasion of the 
usual faint coppery illumination (caused by the refraction of 
the sun’s rays into the earth’s shadow by our atmosphere), 
by which the moon continues conspicuously visible through- 
out the phase of totality. The darkened moon was also 
unusually dark, and was by some described as invisible. 
In consideration of the above circumstances, the recent 
eclipse, although not total, was so nearly so that it was 
looked forward to with particular interest, and I determined 
to make the best of the opportunity, with special reference 
to the moon’s appearance in shadow. Fortunately, the cir- 
cumstances were most favourable, the moon being free from 
clouds throughout. I commenced observing shortly after 
midnight. The penumbra was then gradually creeping over 
the south-east limb, though more apparent tothe naked eye 
than in the telescope. The ruggedness of this portion of the 
moon’s surface was at this time distinctly visible even in the 
profile of the full orb (in the telescope, of course). At 
Oh. 48min, this ruggedness vanished on the approach of the 
shadow, and seven minutes later this portion of the outline 
itself was lost. As the shadow advanced, that part within 
the moon’s outline, adjacent to the point of intersection, 
on each side appeared considerably lighter than the 
general shadow, gradually deepening into the shadow 
resting on the body of the moon. About lh. 10min. 
about fifteen degrees of the moon’s outline on each side 
was visible within the shadow. This increased, during the 
middle of the eclipse, to what I judged to be about twenty- 
five degrees, this portion of the edge appearing as a sharp 
faint rim of light, gradually fading away into the shadow. 
With the above exception, all within the shadow was utterly 
obliterated—lost in the dead slaty tint of the sky. I could 
not discover a single crater or feature after it was fairly 
within the shadow, although on other occasions, even while 
totally eclipsed, I have been able to distinguish clearly all 
the principal features of the moon. There was not the slightest 
trace of the coppery tint discernible throughout this eclipse. 
The shadow advanced until at 2h. 20min. it bisected the 
crater Plato, remaining stationary until 2h. 23}min. At 2h. 
25min. Plato had emerged from shadow, and the middle of 
the eclipse had passed. 
B 
