The total eclipse was visible as far south as Cuba; in Jamaica the eclipse was partial
1871/1878
Jules Janssen (France) notices that the shape of the corona changes with the sunspot cycle. At sunspot maximum, the corona is rounder (1871); at sunspot minimum, the corona is more equatorial (1878). This discovery is the most convincing evidence that the corona is part of the Sun
1878 July 29
Height of search for intra-Mercurial planet Vulcan using eclipses to block the Sun. Several observers claim sightings, but they were never confirmed. The problem is finally resolved by Einstein in his general theory of relativity in 1916
1878 July 29
Samuel P. Langley and Cleveland Abbe (United States), observing from Pike's Peak in Colorado, and Simon Newcomb (United States), observing from Wyoming, notice coronal streamers extending more than 6 degrees from the Sun along the ecliptic and suggest that this glow is the origin of the zodiacal light
Jules Janssen (France) notices that the shape of the corona changes with the sunspot cycle. At sunspot maximum, the corona is rounder (1871); at sunspot minimum, the corona is more equatorial (1878). This discovery is the most convincing evidence that the corona is part of the Sun
1878 July 29
Height of search for intra-Mercurial planet Vulcan using eclipses to block the Sun. Several observers claim sightings, but they were never confirmed. The problem is finally resolved by Einstein in his general theory of relativity in 1916
1878 July 29
Samuel P. Langley and Cleveland Abbe (United States), observing from Pike's Peak in Colorado, and Simon Newcomb (United States), observing from Wyoming, notice coronal streamers extending more than 6 degrees from the Sun along the ecliptic and suggest that this glow is the origin of the zodiacal light
Instructions from Maxwell Hall for observing the eclipse:
[Parts of this piece by Maxwell Hall are very difficult to read; I have transcribed it as well as I could.]
Daily Gleaner, July 12 1878
THE COMING ECLIPSE OF THE SUN
On Monday, the 29th of July, the Sun will be totally eclipsed along a narrow belt on the surface of the Earth, commencing in Eastern Siberia, passing across Behring's Straits, British Columbia, Golorado, and Texas, passing over the town of Havannah, nearly over Port-au-Prince, and terminating a few miles to the South of the town of S. Domingo.
Consequently Jamaica lies about 200 miles to the South of the line or belt of total phase, and we shall only see a partial Eclipse of the Sun; but the Solar disc will be reduced to a very narrow curved thread of light, whose extreme breadth at the time of the greatest obscuration will not exceed [??] seconds of arc, or about a thirty-fourth part of the Sun's [diameter?]. Moreover, the curved thread will be less than a complete semi-circle, for the [ ? ] or extreme points will subtend an angle of only 146o? At the centre of the Sun's disc.
The Eclipse begins a few minutes after [5?] o'clock in the afternoon, the afternoon, and as the greatest [phase?] of obscuration [occurs?] at 6 o'clock, the general effect will be to shorten the day by an hour or so, and to increase the average duration of twilight by the same amount; for the sun will set at about 25 minutes to 7, while the Eclipse will still be in progress; and the [recovery?] of the [light?] will be [counter?]-[balanced?] by the Sun's downward motion towards and below the horizon.
Without discussing the numerous interesting [features?] which [attend?] Solar Eclipses, I may here point out that they are very useful as checks upon the Longitude of places where the times of Contact are carefully observed; and as there are a few telescopes in Jamaica, I would ask their possessors to assist me that afternoon, provided they also have some means of obtaining their local time with accuracy.
In order to make the required observations, a few data will be necessary. At the Observatory, near Montego Bay, the First Contact will occur at 5 hours, 3 minutes, 49 second local mean time; at Kingston the First Contact will occur at 5 hours, 7 minutes, 39 second Kingston mean time; and the appropriate time of First Contact for any other places in Jamaica may be obtained by simple proportion with respect to Longitude.
Again, it is necessary to know what point of the Sun's disc will be first touched by that of the Moon, so that the point may be brought to the centre of the field of view of the telescope. If we consider the direct image of the Sun apart from the inversion, produced by Astronomical telescopes, the point of First Contact will be 135o from the Zenith-point, or the highest point of the Sun's disc, measuring the angle westwards or towards the right-hand; or similarly it will be 59o from the North Polar-point.
Those who have no telescopes may observe the general appearance and the rapid changes by looking through coloured or smoked glass:- smoked by holding it for a few seconds over the flame of a candle; many persons have injured their eye-sight by neglecting this simple precaution.
MAXWELL HALL
Montego Bay, July 10
Daily Gleaner, July 12 1878
THE COMING ECLIPSE OF THE SUN
On Monday, the 29th of July, the Sun will be totally eclipsed along a narrow belt on the surface of the Earth, commencing in Eastern Siberia, passing across Behring's Straits, British Columbia, Golorado, and Texas, passing over the town of Havannah, nearly over Port-au-Prince, and terminating a few miles to the South of the town of S. Domingo.
Consequently Jamaica lies about 200 miles to the South of the line or belt of total phase, and we shall only see a partial Eclipse of the Sun; but the Solar disc will be reduced to a very narrow curved thread of light, whose extreme breadth at the time of the greatest obscuration will not exceed [??] seconds of arc, or about a thirty-fourth part of the Sun's [diameter?]. Moreover, the curved thread will be less than a complete semi-circle, for the [ ? ] or extreme points will subtend an angle of only 146o? At the centre of the Sun's disc.
The Eclipse begins a few minutes after [5?] o'clock in the afternoon, the afternoon, and as the greatest [phase?] of obscuration [occurs?] at 6 o'clock, the general effect will be to shorten the day by an hour or so, and to increase the average duration of twilight by the same amount; for the sun will set at about 25 minutes to 7, while the Eclipse will still be in progress; and the [recovery?] of the [light?] will be [counter?]-[balanced?] by the Sun's downward motion towards and below the horizon.
Without discussing the numerous interesting [features?] which [attend?] Solar Eclipses, I may here point out that they are very useful as checks upon the Longitude of places where the times of Contact are carefully observed; and as there are a few telescopes in Jamaica, I would ask their possessors to assist me that afternoon, provided they also have some means of obtaining their local time with accuracy.
In order to make the required observations, a few data will be necessary. At the Observatory, near Montego Bay, the First Contact will occur at 5 hours, 3 minutes, 49 second local mean time; at Kingston the First Contact will occur at 5 hours, 7 minutes, 39 second Kingston mean time; and the appropriate time of First Contact for any other places in Jamaica may be obtained by simple proportion with respect to Longitude.
Again, it is necessary to know what point of the Sun's disc will be first touched by that of the Moon, so that the point may be brought to the centre of the field of view of the telescope. If we consider the direct image of the Sun apart from the inversion, produced by Astronomical telescopes, the point of First Contact will be 135o from the Zenith-point, or the highest point of the Sun's disc, measuring the angle westwards or towards the right-hand; or similarly it will be 59o from the North Polar-point.
Those who have no telescopes may observe the general appearance and the rapid changes by looking through coloured or smoked glass:- smoked by holding it for a few seconds over the flame of a candle; many persons have injured their eye-sight by neglecting this simple precaution.
MAXWELL HALL
Montego Bay, July 10