HISTORY OF PHYSICAL ASTRONOMY.
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are seen at the bottom of a shallow basin filled with clear water, when thesurface, slightly agitated, is illuminated by the rays of the sun.”
A phenomenon similar to that mentioned in the foregoing accounts wasalso observed at Narbonne, Alais, and several other places in France .The following description of the appearance, as witnessed by M. Savourninat Seyne, is somewhat different from the other statements :—
“ There were seen here shadows and luminous patches running aftereach other, the effect of which was similar to that produced by the passageof a succession of small clouds over the sun. These patches icere not allof the same colour. Some of them were red; others were yellow, blue, orichite. The children amused themselves in running after them, andtrying to put their hands upon them. This extraordinary phenomenonwas remarked only a few instants before the complete disappearance ofthe sun.”*
It is remarkable that no observers of the total eclipse of 1842, out ofFrance , make any allusion to the singular appearances noticed in thatcountry, before and after the total obscuration. Almost equally silentupon this point are the observers of former eclipses of the sun. Thefollowing observations of the total eclipse of 1783, appear to have refer-ence to an undulatory movement similar to that above mentioned.
Rydhenius, pastor of Forshem, states that “ when the sun was about tolose his light, and also when he was about to recover it, he emitted raysthat undulated like the aurora borealis, and were of a fiery red colour.” f
Again the pastor of Flo, in his account of the same eclipse, affirms that,“ towards the total obscuration stars were visible, and also a singular fluctu-ation in the air."*
It might be supposed, although it is by no means probable, that thefirst cited of these two observations has reference to the appearance of thesun when viewed directly, a little before and after the total obscuration,and not to the effect which might be produced upon a surface illuminatedby the solar rays. With respect to the second observation, it is still lessimprobable that it can be any other than a phenomenon of the samenature as that witnessed during the total eclipse of 1842; since it isdifficult to believe that any agitation in the air could be recognised,except by viewing its undulations as projected upon some wall or building.The observation of the pastor of Forshem would also seem to have someanalogy to that of M. Savournin, relative to the moveable shadows ofdifferent colours which appeared at Seyne during the total eclipse of 1842.As, however, the curious phenomenon witnessed in the latter instancedoes not seem to have been noticed, except at the place just cited, itwould be desirable to obtain a more satisfactory verification of it byreference to some previous eclipse. The following statement made byDelisle, while citing some observations which appeared to him to supporthis theory of the luminous ring seen around the moon on the occasion ofa total eclipse of the sun, manifestly refers to a phenomenon of a similarnature :—
“ The second observation is one which a curious individual acquaints
* Annuaire, 1846, p. 393.
t Acta Lit. et Scien. Suec., tom. iv., p. 61. The following are the express words ofthe original:—“ Sol lucem penitus amissurus eandemque recuperaturus, radios ejaculabatfluctuabundes, inslar aurora: borealis, et rutilos.”
1 Acta Lit. et Scien. Suec., tom. iv., p. 61. The words of the observer are these:—“ Sub qua (obscuratione) stellse apparebant et singularis qusedam in tere fluctuatio.”