Page:In the high heavens.djvu/89

 observations of this as indeed of certain other recent eclipses of the sun.

The history of modern astronomy makes it plain that a remarkable change has taken place in the nature of the questions which specially demand attention during such phenomena.

Twenty-four years ago a total eclipse was regarded as of special value, as it afforded the opportunity of investigating those remarkable prominences or coloured flames round the sun's margin which were then considered to be not otherwise visible than by the occurrence of a total eclipse. Attention was no doubt also directed in the earlier eclipses to the