THE LUNAR ECLIPSE.

"Sol" sends us the following in reference to the lunar eclipse of Saturday last:—

This was visible from moon rise at 7.10 to lOhr. lOmin., when it onded, and, strange to say, the middle of the eclipse was at Bhr. 24min. 42scc. At that time a fifth magnitude star (51 Tauri) was getting near the moon's northern level in the centre of the earth's shadow, and at Bhr. 30min. 40sec. (P.O. time) it occulted, reappearing at 8.40. The next eclipse is on December 13, starting at 5.43 a.m. (P.O. time) and ends at 6hr. 20min. a.m. It is a solar eclipse, being at most only half the sun, in long. 86dcg. lat. 65dcg. S. At Wellington it will be a mere contact at 1.044. Most of our total solar eclipses take place in polar regions. On May 9, 1910, the most important eclipse possible occurs almost at our doors. There will be a total eclipse of the sun at Hobart. At 4hr. 3.smin. totality begins, and ends at 4hr. 6.4min. The sunset at Hobart is at 4hr. 53min. The current nautical almanac is greatly excited over it. .At Sydney the eclipse is at 4hr. 38min., amounting to .860 of the sun's disc ; at Melbourne on May 9, at 4hr. lmin., .946; at Adelaide at 4hr. 41min., .901 ; at Perth at 2hr. 48min., .762 of the sun's disc is obscured. The sun will be set to us in New Zealand before the eclipse begins, although all south of Timaru and Hokitika may see it beginning at sunsef .