I
had, indeed, expected the appearance of a luminous circle round the
moon during the time of total obscurity; but I did not expect, from
any of the accounts of preceding eclipses that I had read, to
witness so magnificent an exhibition as that which took place...
Splendid and astonishing, however, as this remarkable phenomenon
really was, and although it could not fail to call forth the
admiration and applause of every beholder, yet I must confess that
there was at the same time something in its singular and wonderful
appearance that was appalling...
But the most remarkable circumstance attending the phenomenon was
the appearance of three large protuberances apparently emanating
from the circumference of the moon, but evidently forming a portion
of the corona. They had the appearance of mountains of a prodigious
elevation; their color was red tinged with lilac or purple; perhaps
the color of the peach-blossom would more nearly represent it. They
somewhat resembled the tops of the snowy Alpine mountains when
colored by the rising or the setting sun. They resembled the Alpine
mountains in another respect, inasmuch as their light was perfectly
steady, and had none of that flickering or sparkling motion so
visible in other parts of the corona.
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