Observations of the Solar Eclipse, May 1/12 1706 At the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, etc. Communicated by the Reverend Mr John Flamsted, Math. Reg. & F. R. S.

Town: The Waves came rolling down, like long Swarms of Grass, one upon another, to use the Metaphor of the Relater, who had never seen the Sea. Several Houses were utterly ruin'd, and others wreckt up to the Chamber Windows; one particularly so covered, that a great piece of the Rock was left upon the top of the Chimney. These things my Neighbour was an Eye-Witness of, and had many a weary day in clearing some part of his Land. His House was, for some time, full of Neighbours, who were harbourless by this sudden Accident. Leeds, August 20, 1705. V. Observations of the Solar Eclipse, May 1st, 1706 At the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, &c. communicated by the Reverend Mr John Flamsted, Math. Reg. & F. R. S. The Morning was Cloudy and Moist till about eight a clock, when the Clouds began to break, and we had sometimes a sight of the Sun through the spaces betwixt them. A Sevenfoot Telescope was fitted up with a Scene to receive the Species of the Sun cast through it, and on which it was about seven inches diameter, divided into digits by six concentrick Circles. But Clouds coming, the Sun frequently rendered this way of observing inconvenient, and therefore laying aside the Apparatus of the Scene, I viewed him through the same Telescope with Smoaked Glasses, to save my Eyes, and Noted: 1706. 1706. Time corr. May 1st by the St. N. Pend. Clock. 8 21 30 A very small part of the ⊙ diameter was eclipsed. 28 00 The Chord of the Arch of the ⊙ periphery eclipsed was 14'.40". then followed frequent Clouds through the spaces betwixt 3, then some Zenith distances of the Sun were taken for correcting the Clock, and afterwards near the middle of the Eclipse. 9 21 46 The parts of the Diameter remaining clear 5 00 26 20 Frequent large Clouds again till the Sun appeared through the breaks, and we saw the Eclipse was not ended. 10 31 50 When the Sun shone out again we saw his Limb entire, and the Eclipse certainly over. At Canterbury. Mr. St. Gray had prepared a Scene placed behind his seven foot Glass, so that the Species of the Sun projected on it was seven inches over; but having the same sort of Weather we had at Greenwich, he saw not the beginning, by reason of Clouds, but other Phases with the end he noted as follows. Correct time by the Pend. Clock. | h | digits | darkned | |---|--------|---------| | 8 | 53 | | | 9 | 08 | 7 | | | 31 | 10 or more | | | 36 | The Sun shining for a short time, the Eclipse seem'd to decrease. | | | 55 | 7 ½ a little clearer. | | | 57 | 6 ¾. | | 10| 02 | 6. | | | 4 | 5 ½. | | | 14 | 4. | | | 16 | 3 ¾. | | | 20 | 2 ½. | | | 30 | 1. | | | 31 | 0 ¾. | | 10| 36 | The end accurately with a Tube of 16 foot. | At Horton, near Bradford in Yorkshire. Mr. Abr. Sharp cast the Species of the Sun on a Scene-plate, behind his Seven foot Glass, so as it appeared seven inches over. By reason of Cloudy Weather, he saw neither the beginning nor end: But other Phases near the middle, as follows. Times correct by the Pend. Clock. 8 35 oo digits dark 3 by Ocular Estimation. 9 01 oo 7 4 54 8 1/6 Eclipsed on the Scene. 6 33 8 1/2 7 53 8 1/6 12 50 9 16 08 9 1/6 18 48 9 1/2 exactly, the ☉ shining out clear. 20 45 9 1/2 the ☉ still shining clearly. Greatest obscurity. 21 48 9 1/2 still clear. 28 46 9 44 45 7 54 42 5 1/4 10 06 10 3 1/2 19 55 1 precisely. 24 00 The ☉ seen thro Clouds, the Eclipse not ended. 30 00 The ☉ seen again perfectly round and entire. From Bern in Switzerland. Captain Stannian, who was there with his Kinsman, her Majesty's Envoy writes the same day to me, "That the Sun was totally darkned there for 4 1/2 minutes of Time; that a fixed Star and a Planet appear'd very bright; and that his getting out of the Eclipse was preceded by a Blood red streak of Light, from its Left Limb; which continued not longer than 6 or 7 Seconds of Time; then part of the Sun's Disk appear'd, all of a sudden, bright as Venus was ever seen in the night; nay, brighter; and in that very instant gave a Light and Shadow to things, as strong as Moon-light uses to do." The Captain is the first Man I ever heard of that took notice of a Red Streak of Light preceding the emersion of the Sun's body from a total Eclipse. And I take notice of it to you, because it infers that the Moon has an Atmosphere; and its short continuance of only 6 or 7 Seconds of Time, tells us that its height is not more than the 5 or 6 hundredth part of her diameter. VI. An Abstract of a Letter written from Geneva, May the 31st, 1706. N. S. by Monsieur J. Chr. Facio Duillier, R. S. S. to his Brother Mr Nic. Facio, R. S. S. Containing some Observations of the Sun's Eclipse, on the 12th of May, 1706. N. S. The total Eclipse of the Sun, which happened on the 12th of May, 1706. N. S., did present to the Inhabitants of Geneva a magnificent and surprizing Sight. The more Learned did observe that Eclipse with much Satisfaction: But it did strike many of the Common People with a great deal of Terror. A little after the Sun's rising, the Sky did seem clear; tho the Air was thick already with some Vapours. Many little Clouds did afterwards arise here and there, and the Vapours did much increase. For want of a Pendulum Clock, in a convenient place, the Moment of the total Immersion, the Moment of the first Emersion, and that of the End of the Eclipse, could not be accurately observed. Tho the Sky was somewhat overcast, the Heat of the Sun was already felt, when the Eclipse did begin: But a very sensible Coldness took place, as the Moon did, by degrees, cover