The Total Solar Eclipses of 7 August 1869 and 29 July 1878 and the Popularisation of Astronomy in the USA as Reflected in the New York Times

摘要

Solar eclipses have long fascinated the general public and served as a means of popularising astronomy. During the nineteenth century a number of different total eclipses were visible from the United States, and in addition to generating enormous scientific interest these created considerable popular appeal. Here we trace the ways in which the total solar eclipses of 1869 and 1878 were portrayed in the New York Times, which helped generate a groundswell of interest in amateur astronomy in this country.