86 



the eclipse of September 7th, 1820, at a time when the Sun wai 



But by far the most elegant, as well as decisive appearance of 

 this kind, was exhibited immediately previous to the formation of 

 the ring. While the bright cusps of the visible portion of the 

 Sun's disc were still at some distance from each otlier, all the in- 

 tervening portion of the iMoon's dark limb was seen fringed with 

 a tinge of light of surprising brilliancy; soon after which the dis- 



ance first presented itself was not noted, the formation of the 

 ring being momentarily expected, but the distance between the 

 cusps, it is believed, was not less than one-fourth of the Sun's di- 

 ameter ; whence it would seem to have taken place at a little less 

 than two seconds previous to the time of their meeting, when the 

 disc of the Moon still projected beyond that of the Sun 0"|. The 

 bright cusps united with great rapidity, presenting as they emerged 

 from the Moon^s edge, an irregular serrated appearance. 



At the rupture of the ring, a very small portion of the rough 

 eastern edge of the Moon's disc first touched that of the Sun, and 

 almost at the same instant, a similar contact took place, north of 

 the first ; a narrow, ragged, but most beautifully brilliant fragment 

 of about 25 degrees of the Sun's circumference in length, being 

 thus entirely separated from the remainder of the visible portion 

 of the Sun's disc.J This interesting phenomenon, however, was 

 necessarily of very short duration, entirely disappearing in the 

 course of a very few seconds. The ring, to the bare eye, (even 

 when viewing it through a very small aperture,) presented a much 

 broader appearance than when viewed through the telescope. 



The observation of the end was not entirely satisfactory ; its 

 accuracy is, therefore, less probable than that of the other obser- 



During the progress of the eclipse, a gradual, but very sensible 

 diminution of light took place, and the atmosphere, in consequence, 

 became of a deeper and more dusky hue. The planet Venus wa» 

 distinctly discernible when the Sun was about nine digits eclipsed, 

 and when the obscuration became greater, Jupiter was also seen. 



The diminution of temperature was also very sensible, and 



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