24.4 Calculation of Eclipses.

Which being subtracted frotn 6 signs, leaves only 5* 47' 32"remaining; and this being all the space that the sun is fhort of thedescending node, it is plain that the moon must then be eclipfed,bccause stie is just as near the contrary node.

E X A M P L E VI.

2>' Whether the sun ivas eclipfed in May , the year before CHRIST 583;

(See Example III.)

To the year before Chr iß 600Add the mean mot, of 15 compl. years■May - - - -

Aod-i 2 9 ^ a y s .

3 hours - -

3 min. (neglecting the feconds)

Sun from node.

so///

9 9 2 3 5 r9 J 9 27 49

4 4 37 571 o 7 10

7 488

Sun’s distance from the afcending node o 3 44 43

Which being lefs than 18 degrees, sihews that the sun was eclipfedat that time.

Thales ’s This eclipfe was foretold by ^Thales, and is thought to be the eclipfe

eclipse. which put an end to the war between the Medes and Lydians.when eclipses The times of the fun's conjunSlion with the nodes, and confequentlymuß happm. the eclipfe-months of any given year, are easily found by the Table ofthe sun's mean motion from the moon’s afcending node j and much in thefame way as the mean conjunctions of the sun and moon are foundby the table of the moon’s mean motion from the sun. For, collectthe siin’s mean motion from the node (which is the fame as hisdistance gone from it) for the beginning of any given year, andfubtract it from 12 signs; then, from the remainder, fubtract thenext lefs mean motions belonging to whatever month you find themin the table; and from their remainder fubtract the next lefs meanmotion for days, and fo on for hours and minutes: the resuit of aliwhich will sliew the time of the fun’s mean conjunction with theaßending node of the moon’s orbit.

EXAMPLE