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HISTORY OF PHYSICAL ASTRONOMY.
On the 30th of November, 1834, there happened a total eclipse of thesun, which was visible in Georgia and South Carolina, U.S. At Milledge-ville, Georgia, the phenomenon was observed by the French astronomer,Nicollet*. The total obscuration lasted l m 15 s . At Beaufort, South Ca-rolina , two planets and four stars of the first magnitude were visible to thenaked eye f.
A total eclipse of the sun depends upon the concurrence of so manycircumstances, that an opportunity of observing a phenomenon of thisnature seldom occurs to the astronomer, even if the place where it isvisible were invariably favourable for that purpose. When it is con-sidered, however, that the track of the lunar shadow is not infrequentlyconfined to a region remote from the great centres of European science,it may easily be conceived that an astronomer may pass his whole life-time without enjoying the gratification of witnessing so impressive aspectacle. An intense interest was therefore naturally excited by theapproaching occurrence of the total eclipse of July 8, 1812, which wasannounced to be visible in the north of Italy , and in the southern pro-vinces of France, German}', and Russia . Many of the most eminent as-tronomers of Europe repaired to different stations upon the track ofthe lunar shadow, with the intention of observing the phenomenon.M. Arago awaited its occurrence at Perpignan; M. Yalz, at Marseilles ;M. Petit, at Montpellier ; the late Mr. Baily, at Pavia; Mr. Airy,at the Superga, near Turin ; M. Carlini, at Milan; MM. Santini,and Conti, at Padua; MM. Schumacher and Littrow, at Vienna;and MM. Otto Struve, and Schidlowsky, at Lipesk. It was witnessedunder favourable circumstances at all these stations, as well as atseveral other places; and detailed statements respecting it were drawn upby the various observers, which have formed the groundwork of muchinteresting speculation J. The following account of the occurrence of theeclipse, by M. Arago, cannot fail to repay perusal by the reader.
“ At Perpignan , persons who were seriously unwell, alone remainedwithin doors. As soon as day began to break, the population covered theterraces and battlements of the town, as well as all the little eminencesin the neighbourhood, in hopes of obtaining a view of the sun as he as-cended above the horizon. At the citadel we had under our eyes, besidesnumerous groups of citizens established on the slopes, a body of soldiersabout to be reviewed.
“ The hour of the commencement of the eclipse drew nigh. Morethan twenty thousand persons, with smoked glasses in their hands, wereexamining the radiant globe projected upon an azure sky. Althougharmed with our powerful telescopes, we had hardly begun to discernthe small notch on the western limb of the sun, when an immense
* Silliman’s Amer. Journal, vol. xxviii., p. 193.
f Silliman’s Journal, vol. xlii., p. 175.
J Messrs. Baily and Airy have given descriptions of the eclipse, in vol. xiv. of theMemoirs of the Astronomical Society. The observations of the French Astronomersare all given by M. Arago in the Annuaire for 1845. In vol. iv. of the Giornale dell'Istituto Lombardo , there are interesting communications respecting the phenomenon,by MM. Piola, Carlini, Belli, Santini, and Confighliachi. M. Schumacher has given anaccount of the eclipse in No. 457 of the Astronomische Nachrichten. An account ofthe observations of M. Otto Struve and his colleague is inserted, in No. 470 of the last-mentioned Journal. In the Annuaire for 1845, M. Arago has collected and arranged allthe observations of the eclipse, and has discussed them in the same volume, with theability which characterizes ail the labours of that, illustrious philosopher.