Sun Eclipse

“When the moon psses between the Earth and Sun, there happens an eclipse of the Sun, because then the Moon’s shadow falls upon the Earth. A total eclipse of the Sun happens often, but when it occurs, the total obscurity is confined to a small part of the Earth; since the dark portion of the Moon’s shadow never exceeds 200 miles in diameter on the Earth. But the Moon’s partial shadow, or penumbra, may cover a space on the Earth of more than 4,000 miles in diameter, within all which space the Sun will be more or less eclipsed. When the penumbra first touches the Earth, the eclipse begins at that place, and ends when the penumbra leaves it. But the eclipse will be total only where the dark shadow of the Moon touches the earth.” —Comstock, 1850

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