An introduction to astronomy: designed as a text-book for the use of students in college. By Denison Olmsted ...

LON ITUJ ):. 1(61
the moulitain summits of t.he rough outline of tihe mnoon's disk.
T'h.at they are not talways seell may arise from the fact tlhat thel
edge maty in some cases be much less serrated by lmounltaills
tllan in others.i'.JThere is another )eellliarity for whicl no satisfactory cxplanationl is yet offered. The moment succeeding tlhe total
oclultation of the sun, irregular prcjicctio ns start out fr'om the
edge here and there, entirely detached from each other, eCitherl
of a llalme or a rose colol, somlctinles slhort anid wide, at othlers:lnarrow, 2' or 3' long, anld often bent at a considerable atl1lc.
IDurilnlg the continuance of the eclipsc, these change tlheir fiorms,
or disappear, and new ones start up elscwlhere. The installt
that the thread-like ecdge of the su-n appears, the whlite corona
and the flamlc-colorcd protiuberances vxanlisl.
A. total eclipse of thec stun is one of time most sublime and
impressivre phelnomena, of nature..'The darkness is such thlat
the larger planets and stars appear, and a chill is felt like thlat
of nighlt. Flowers sllut up, and tanimals reftire to rest. It is
not strange that people of blarlarous countries are tilled withl
constcernation and fear by the occurrence of a total eclipse....... ru.............. r...:s.
aOXG' 1l:ITUDP,'- -IID.E'
27 2. As celipses of the sul afford one of the most approved
methods of finding the longitudes of places, our attention is
naturally turned ncxt toward tlhat subject.
I'The ancients stdifed astronomy in order that tlhey mligt
read their (destinies in the stars; the moderns, tllat thely lmay
securely navigate the ocean.'A large portion of the refitned
lalbors of modern astronomy hbas been dilrected toward perfectintg tlhe astronomtical tables, with the view of finding the logitilde at sc a —-an ob ject manifestly worthy of the highest efforts
* Il.'. l.c..