The End was exactly at 7 h. 5′; the Suns Altitude, 25. deg. 24′.
The Duration, 2h. 4′.
37. Parts of the Suns diameter remained light.
63. Parts of the same were darkened.
The Observations made at Paris by Monsieur Payen, assisted by several Astronomers, as they were printed in French, and addressed to Monsieur de Montmor, are these;
The Eclipse began there, at 5 h. 44′. 52″. mane. It ended at 7 h. 43′. 6″. So that its whole Duration was 1 h. 58′. 14″. The greatest Obscuration they assign to have been 7. dig. 50. m. but they adde, that it seem'd to have been greater by 3 minuts; which M. Payen imputes to a particular motion of libration of the Suns Globe, which entertain'd that Luminary in the same Phasis for the space of 8. min. and some seconds, as if it had been stopped in the midst of its Course; rather than to a tremulous Motion of the Atmosphere, as Scheiner would have it.
They intimate that they took the time of each Phasis from half digit to half digit, as well by a Pendulum, as by the Altitudes of the Suns Center above the Horizon, corrected by the Verticall Paralaxes and Æstivall Refractions, by which they judged, that though the Time by the Pendulum may be sufficient for Mechanicall Operations, yet 'tis not exact enough for establishing the Grounds of true Astronomy.
They further conceive that the apparent Diameters were almost equal; seeing that in the Phasis of 6. Digits, the Circumference of the Moons disk passed through the Center of that of the Sun, so as that two Lines drawn through the two Horns of the Sun, made with the Common Semi-diameter two Equilateral Triangles.
Next, they affirm, That there was so great a Variation in the Parallaxes, by reason as well of the Refractions of the Air, which environs the Earth, as of the Alteration of the Air, which encompasses the Moon, that the Horns of the Sun, there formed by the Shaddow of the Moon, appeared in all kinds of Figures; Sometimes inclined to the Vertical, sometimes Perpendicular to the Horizon, and at last Parallel; the Convexe part respecting the Heaven, and the Concave, the Horizon. By the crossing (so they go on) of the
Horns with the Angles of Inclination, it will be easie to those, that have exactly observed them, and that are skill'd in the higher Astronomical Calculations, to compute the true Place of the Moon in her Orbite, that so it may be compared with that of the Tables, and with that, which has been observ'd in other places, for the more precise determinating of the Difference of Meridians (that being the way, esteem'd by Kepler the most certain) and for making a good Judgment of the defect or exactnesse of the Celestial Tables.