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Art. XXXIV .- — Celestial Phenomena, from October 1. 1823 to 
January 1. 1824, calculated for the Meridian of Edinburgh? 
Mean Time , with Observations on the Lunar Eclipse of the 
%3d July. By Mr George Innes, Aberdeen. 
HE weather, during the month of July, was very unfavour- 
able here for making astronomical observations ; and the Solar 
Eclipse of the 8th was invisible. As I felt anxious to obtain, if 
possible, the advantage of a clear atmosphere, in order to ob- 
serve the Total Eclipse of the Moon on the 23d of J uly, in com- 
pany with two friends I went about six miles southward ; and 
fortunately the atmosphere, towards the commencement of the 
eclipse, became sufficiently clear, and the beginning was observed 
at l 11 27' 1 6 /y , and the commencement of total darkness at 2 h 34* 
14", Aberdeen mean time, after making an allowance for the 
error of the clock by which my pocket chronometer was set. 
The telescope used magnified about twenty-five times. 
From the beginning of the eclipse, till near the time of total 
darkness, the moon was occasionally hid by clouds ; the shadow 
was pretty well defined, until about 6' before the total obscura- 
tion, after which it became more and more jagged. 
For about 2' before the commencement of total darkness, the 
unobscured limb of the moon appeared dilated beyond the other 
part of her circumference ; and during this period, the unobscured 
part of her disc assumed a white appearance, tinged with green. 
The penumbra was not so sensible as that of the eclipse of 
February 1822, and hence the time of the beginning of this 
eclipse was more easily determined ; but the time of total ob- 
scuration may be estimated at about 15" earlier than observation, 
owing to the refraction of the last portion of the unobscured 
part of the disc, towards the commencement of total darkness. 
The dark body of the Moon was visible for about half an hour 
after the total obscuration, when, from the approach of dawn, 
and the Moon’s entering a very slight cloud, we lost sight of her. 
It was particularly observed, that after, as well as before the 
total obscuration, the east part of the Moon’s dark disc appeared 
much fainter than the west; but we were unable to trace this 
appearance till she was in the centre of the shadow, from the 
above circumstances. 
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