THE STORY OF ECLIPSES

CONTENTS.

CHAP. PAGE

I. INTRODUCTION 9

II. GENERAL IDEAS 11

III. THE SAROS AND THE PERIODICITY OF ECLIPSES 18

IV. MISCELLANEOUS THEORETICAL MATTERS CONNECTED
WITH ECLIPSES OF THE SUN (CHIEFLY) 34

V. WHAT IS OBSERVED DURING THE EARLIER STAGES
OF AN ECLIPSE OF THE SUN 40
The Moon’s Shadow and the Darkness it causes 41
Shadow Bands 46
The Approach of Totality 49
The Darkness of Totality 53
Meteorological and other effects 54

VI. WHAT IS OBSERVED DURING THE TOTAL PHASE OF
AN ECLIPSE OF THE SUN 56
Baily’s Beads 57
The Corona 62

VII. WHAT IS OBSERVED AFTER THE TOTAL PHASE OF
AN ECLIPSE OF THE SUN IS AT AN END 73

VIII. ECLIPSES OF THE SUN MENTIONED IN HISTORY—CHINESE 75

IX. ARE ECLIPSES ALLUDED TO IN THE BIBLE 86

X. ECLIPSES MENTIONED IN HISTORY—CLASSICAL 107

XI. ECLIPSES MENTIONED IN HISTORY—THE CHRISTIAN
ERA TO THE NORMAN CONQUEST 128

XII. ECLIPSES MENTIONED IN HISTORY—MEDIÆVAL
AND MODERN 145

XIII. ECLIPSES MENTIONED IN HISTORY—NINETEENTH
CENTURY 162

XIV. THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH AS APPLIED TO ECLIPSES
OF THE SUN 179

XV. ECLIPSES OF THE MOON—GENERAL PRINCIPLES 186

XVI. ECLIPSES OF THE MOON MENTIONED IN HISTORY 197

XVII. CATALOGUES OF ECLIPSES: AND THEIR CALCULATION 218

XVIII. STRANGE ECLIPSE CUSTOMS 224

XIX. ECLIPSES IN SHAKESPEARE AND THE POETS 229

XX. BRIEF HINTS TO OBSERVERS OF ECLIPSES 233

XXI. TRANSITS AND OCCULTATIONS 235

APPENDIX—INFORMATION RESPECTING THE TOTAL
ECLIPSE OF MAY 28, 1900, FOR TRAVELLERS VISITING
PORTUGAL AND SPAIN 239




LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE

FIG. 1. TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN, SEPTEMBER 7,
1858 _Frontispiece_

" 2. THEORY OF TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN 15

" 3. THEORY OF AN ANNULAR ECLIPSE OF THE SUN 16

" 4. ANNULAR ECLIPSE OF THE SUN 16

" 5. PARTIAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN 17

" 6. SHADOW BANDS 47

" 7. RAYS OF LIGHT SEEN DURING TOTALITY 49

" 8. BRUSHES OF LIGHT 57

" 9. “BAILY’S BEADS,” FOUR STAGES, AT BRIEF
INTERVALS (MAY 15, 1836) 58

" 10. CORONA OF 1882. SUN-SPOT MAXIMUM 68

" 11. CORONA OF 1867. SUN-SPOT MINIMUM 70

" 12. ECLIPSE OF JAN. 11, 689 B.C. AT JERUSALEM 100

" 13. THEORY OF AN ECLIPSE OF THE MOON 187

" 14. CONDITIONS OF ECLIPSES OF THE MOON 189

" 15. OCCULTATION OF JUPITER, AUG. 7, 1889
(IMMERSION) 237

" 16. OCCULTATION OF JUPITER, AUG. 7, 1889
(IMMERSION) 237

" 17. OCCULTATION OF JUPITER, AUG. 7, 1889 (EMERSION) 238

" 18. OCCULTATION OF JUPITER, AUG. 7, 1889 (EMERSION) 238

" 19. PATH OF THE TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN OF
MAY 28, 1900 _at end of book._




THE STORY OF ECLIPSES.