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The Solar Eclipse of July 29, 1878

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Lewis Swift

Part of the book series: Historical & Cultural Astronomy ((HCA))

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Abstract

For about four decades in the latter half of the nineteenth century, some astronomers believed that a planet revolved around the Sun within the orbit of Mercury. It was even listed among the other planets in some general astronomy books published during that time. Swift made his most controversial observation during the solar eclipse of July 29, 1878, when he spotted what he thought was one or two intra-mercurial planets southwest of the Sun.

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Notes

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    U. J. J. Le Verrier, Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des séances de l’Academie des Paris, 16 (1843 May) pp. 1054–1065.

  2. 2.

    U. J. J. Le Verrier, “Theorie du Mouvement de Mercure,” Annales de L’Observatoire Imperial de Paris, 5 (1859), pp. 1–195.

  3. 3.

    E. M. Lescarbault, Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des séances de l’Academie des Paris, 50 (1860 Jan. 2), pp. 40–45.

  4. 4.

    U. J. J. Le Verrier, Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des séances de l’Academie des Paris, 50 (1860 Jan. 2), pp. 45–46.

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    J. R. Wolf, Mittheilungen über die Sonnenflecken, 1 (1859), pp. 290–292.

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    J. C. R. Radau, “Future Observations of the supposed New Planet,” Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 20 (1860 Mar. 9), pp. 195–197

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    E. Liais, “Sur la nouvelle planète annoncée par M. Lescarbault,” Astronomische Nachrichten, 52 (1860 Apr. 14), pp. 369–378.

  8. 8.

    G. F. Chambers, A Handbook of Descriptive and Practical Astronomy: The Sun, Planets, and Comets (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1889), pp. 77–78.

  9. 9.

    The Evening Star (1878 Apr. 10), p. 1, col. 2.

  10. 10.

    J. Norman Lockyer, Nature, 17 (1878 Apr. 18), p. 481.

  11. 11.

    The Solar Eclipse of July 29, 1878 (Chicago: Evening Journal Book and Job Printing House, 1878), p. 5.

  12. 12.

    Cleveland Daily Plain Dealer (1878 Jul. 22), p. 2, col. 2.

  13. 13.

    L. Swift, “Discovery of Vulcan,” Science Observer, 2 (1878 Sep.), p. 9.

  14. 14.

    The Solar Eclipse of July 29, 1878 (Chicago: Evening Journal Book and Job Printing House, 1878), p. 22.

  15. 15.

    The Discovery of Vulcan,” New York Herald (1878 Aug. 7), p. 8, col. 3.

  16. 16.

    The Solar Eclipse of July 29, 1878 (Chicago: Evening Journal Book and Job Printing House, 1878), p. 25.

  17. 17.

    The Solar Eclipse of July 29, 1878 (Chicago: Evening Journal Book and Job Printing House, 1878), p. 22.

  18. 18.

    The Solar Eclipse of July 29, 1878 (Chicago: Evening Journal Book and Job Printing House, 1878), pp. 22–23.

  19. 19.

    “The Discovery of Vulcan,” New York Herald (1878 Aug. 7), p. 8, col. 3; “The Discovery of Vulcan,” St. Louis Evening Post (1878 Aug. 9), p. 3, col. 3.

  20. 20.

    “The Discovery of Vulcan,” New York Herald (1878 Aug. 7), p. 8, col. 3.

  21. 21.

    L. Swift, American Journal of Science and Arts (3rd series), 16 (1878 Oct.), p. 314.

  22. 22.

    “The Discovery of Vulcan,” New York Herald (1878 Aug. 7), p. 8, col. 3; “The Discovery of Vulcan,” St. Louis Evening Post (1878 Aug. 9), p. 3, col. 3.

  23. 23.

    “The Discovery of Vulcan,” New York Herald (1878 Aug. 7), p. 8, col. 3; “The Discovery of Vulcan,” St. Louis Evening Post (1878 Aug. 9), p. 3, col. 3.

  24. 24.

    L. Swift, American Journal of Science and Arts (3rd series), 16 (1878 Oct.), p. 314.

  25. 25.

    The Solar Eclipse of July 29, 1878 (Chicago: Evening Journal Book and Job Printing House, 1878), p. 25–26.

  26. 26.

    L. Swift, American Journal of Science and Arts (3rd series), 16 (1878 Oct.), pp. 313–314.

  27. 27.

    L. Swift, The Observatory, 2 (1878 Sep.), p. 161.

  28. 28.

    L. Swift, The Observatory, 2 (1878 Sep.), p. 161.

  29. 29.

    L. Swift, American Journal of Science and Arts (3rd series), 16 (1878 Oct.), p. 314.

  30. 30.

    J. C. Watson, “Discovery of an Intra-Mercurial Planet,” American Journal of Science and Arts (3rd series), 16 (1878 Sep.), p. 230.

  31. 31.

    J. C. Watson, “Discovery of an Intra-Mercurial Planet,” American Journal of Science and Arts (3rd series), 16 (1878 Sep.), p. 231.

  32. 32.

    J. C. Watson, “Discovery of an Intra-Mercurial Planet,” American Journal of Science and Arts (3rd series), 16 (1878 Sep.), pp. 232–233.

  33. 33.

    J. C. Watson, “On the Intra Mercurial Planets,” American Journal of Science and Arts (3rd series), 16 (1878 Oct.), p. 311.

  34. 34.

    J. C. Watson, “Schreiben des Herrn Prof. Watson an den Herausgeber,” Astronomische Nachrichten, 93 (1878 Sep. 13), pp. 141–142.

  35. 35.

    J. C. Watson, “Schreiben des Herrn Prof. Watson an den Herausgeber,” Astronomische Nachrichten, 93 (1878 Oct. 14), pp. 239–240.

  36. 36.

    “The Discovery of Vulcan,” New York Herald (1878 Aug. 7), p. 8, col. 3; “The Discovery of Vulcan,” St. Louis Evening Post (1878 Aug. 9), p. 3, col. 3.

  37. 37.

    “Observations of the Sun’s Eclipse Yesterday,” San Francisco Chronicle (1878 Jul. 30), p. 3 col. 7.

  38. 38.

    “The Solar Eclipse,” The Chicago Daily Tribune (1878 Jul. 30), p. 1 col.

  39. 39.

    “Professor Swift on the Total Eclipse,” Rochester Daily Union and Advertiser (1878 Aug. 17), p. 2, col. 4.

  40. 40.

    “Professor Swift’s Star Gazing,” The Evening Star (1878 Aug. 23), p. 3, col. 6.

  41. 41.

    E. Colbert, The Solar Eclipse of July 29, 1878 (Chicago: Evening Journal Book and Job Printing House, 1878), p. 8.

  42. 42.

    “The Eclipse of the Sun,” The New York Times (1878 Jul. 30), p. 5, col. 2; Kansas City Review of Science and Industry, 2 (1878 Aug.), p. 268.

  43. 43.

    Maria Mitchell: Life, Letters, and Journals, compiled by Phebe Mitchell Kendall (Boston: Lee and Shepard Publishers, 1896), p. 231.

  44. 44.

    Maria Mitchell: Life, Letters, and Journals, compiled by Phebe Mitchell Kendall (Boston: Lee and Shepard Publishers, 1896), p. 232.

  45. 45.

    C. A. Young, The Princeton Review, 50 (1878 Nov.), pp. 884–887.

  46. 46.

    C. H. F. Peters, “Some critical remarks on so-called intra-mercurial planet observations,” Astronomische Nachrichten, 94 (1879 Apr. 16), p. 322.

  47. 47.

    C. H. F. Peters, “Some critical remarks on so-called intra-mercurial planet observations,” Astronomische Nachrichten, 94 (1879 Apr. 16), p. 323.

  48. 48.

    J. C. Watson, “Scheiben des Herrn Prof. Watson an den Herausgeber,” Astronomische Nachrichten, 95 (1879 Jun. 17), p. 103.

  49. 49.

    C. H. F. Peters, Astronomische Nachrichten, 94 (1879 Apr. 16), p. 321.

  50. 50.

    C. H. F. Peters, Astronomische Nachrichten, 94 (1879 Apr. 16), p. 326.

  51. 51.

    C. H. F. Peters, Astronomische Nachrichten, 94 (1879 Apr. 16), p. 325.

  52. 52.

    L. Swift, Astronomische Nachrichten, 95 (1879 Sep. 17), p. 319.

  53. 53.

    L. Swift, Astronomische Nachrichten, 95 (1879 Sep. 17), p. 320

  54. 54.

    L. Swift, Astronomische Nachrichten, 95 (1879 Sep. 17), pp. 320–321.

  55. 55.

    L. Swift, Astronomische Nachrichten, 95 (1879 Sep. 17), p. 321.

  56. 56.

    L. Swift, Astronomische Nachrichten, 95 (1879 Sep. 17), p. 322.

  57. 57.

    L. Swift, Astronomische Nachrichten, 95 (1879 Sep. 17), pp. 323–324.

  58. 58.

    S. C. Chandler correspondence with E. E. Barnard (1881 May 25).

  59. 59.

    E. Colbert, Sidereal Messenger, 6 (1887 Feb.), p. 85.

  60. 60.

    E. Colbert, Sidereal Messenger, 6 (1887 Feb.), p. 85.

  61. 61.

    C. H. F. Peters, “Some critical remarks on so-called intra-mercurial planet observations,” Astronomische Nachrichten, 94 (1879 Apr. 16), p. 325.

  62. 62.

    J. C. Watson, “Discovery of an Intra-Mercurial Planet,” American Journal of Science and Arts (3rd series), 16 (1878 Sep.), pp. 232–233.

  63. 63.

    A. Hall, Popular Astronomy, 7 (1899 Jan.), p. 13.

  64. 64.

    L. Swift, “The Intra-Mercurial Planet Question Not Settled,” Sidereal Messenger, 2 (1883 Nov.), p. 244.

  65. 65.

    L. Swift, New York Times (1883 Aug. 4), p. 3, col. 5.

  66. 66.

    Boston Weekly Globe (1883 Aug. 7), p. 5, col. 1.

  67. 67.

    St. Louis Republic (1889 Jan. 17), p. 3, col. 3.

  68. 68.

    C. D. Perrine, Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 14 (1902 Oct.), pp. 160–163; C. D. Perrine, Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 19 (1907 Jun.), pp. 163–165; C. D. Perrine, Lick Observatory Bulletin, 5 (1909), pp. 95–97.

  69. 69.

    L. Swift, Christian Herald, 28 (1905 Nov. 8), p. 930.

  70. 70.

    A. Einstein, Sitzungsberichte der Königlich Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften (1915), pp. 821–839.

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  1. Fenton, Missouri, USA

    Gary W. Kronk

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Kronk, G.W. (2017). The Solar Eclipse of July 29, 1878. In: Lewis Swift. Historical & Cultural Astronomy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63721-1_4

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