The
observation was made during the eclipse of 1842, which fortunately was
visible all over Central and Southern Europe so that scores of
astronomers saw it. The interest centers in what happened at Pavia in
Northern Italy, where the English astronomer Francis Baily had set up
his telescope. The eclipse had begun and Bailey was busy at his
telescope when, to quote his own words in the account which he wrote
for the Memoirs of the Royal Astronomical Society:
I was astounded by a tremendous burst of applause from the streets
below, and at the same moment was electrified by the sight of one
of the most brilliant and splendid phenomena that can well be
imagined; for at that instant the dark body of the moon was
suddenly surrounded with a corona, or kind of bright glory, similar
in shape and magnitude to that which painters draw round the heads
of saints...
Pavia contains many thousand inhabitants, the major part of whom
were at this early hour walking about the streets and squares or
looking out of windows in order to witness this long-talked-of
phenomenon; and when the total obscuration took place, which was
instantaneous, there was a universal shout from every observer
which ``made the welkin ring,'' and for the moment withdrew my
attention from the object with which I was immediately occupied.
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