The Portland daily press., 1873-05-07
The Moon and Weather

Aiter testing the question AGAIN and aoain
nouern meteorolo9ists have conc to tbe con,
o,usion @ .nae tne moon has no sort of influence
over the weather, agreeing with tha I.o,s
duke, that it is nonsense to place anv e,,th yn =,
her as weather predictor Time was ".,, Lii IA
she was thought absolute mistress oftha 49,. mnen
Pliny has the following lunar weather wisJo,,,.
Fine weather, wind, or rain NAV he Iootai
for according as the moon rises with a mr.
white, red, or swarthy light If at full moon
half the disk is clear, fine weather is betoken,
ed if red, wind if black, rain. If at the ris
ing of the new moon the upper horn is oh
scured, three will be a prevalence of wet when
she is on the wane; ii the lower horn is OBJ
scured, theee will be rain before she attains
her full if both horns appear obtuse, fright
full tempest is near; if they are sharp and
erect high winds may be expected. Darwin
declares it as a sure sign of coming rain
when the moons head is hidden in haloes.
A correspondent of Notes and Queries says
large circle round the moon, with north or
northwest wind, predicates stormy weather;
if the wind comes from any other quarter
there will still be rain, but less oft. II, how
ever, the moon rises after sunset, the appear
ance OF a ring round her is not 50 significant
as the Dutch rhyme puts it:
ring round the moon,
May pass away soon;
But ring round the sun
Gives water In the tun.
An old Spanish proverb saws the circle of
the moon never filled pond, but the circle
OF the sun vets shepherd; while an English
rhyme pronounces:
If ronnd the moon q circles seen
OF white, and all the sky's SERENE
Inc Inc following day, you may divine.
VIII prove exceeding fine.
Whene'er in autumn or In spring,
mist the moon doth with 1t bring,
At noon the sun will bright appear,
The evening be serene and clear.
The turning up of the horns of the new
moon is another sign of fair weather.
There's no likelihood of drop now, an
the moon lies like boat there,' saws some
BODY in Adam Bede. Southey notices thi. no.
ton in one of his letters, ''Poor Littledala
has this day explained the cause of the rains
which prevailed for the last five weeks, by a
theory which will probably be as new Ito you
as it is to me- L have Observed he saws,
that when the moon is turned upward we
have fine weather after it, but when it is
turned down, then We have a wetseason; and
the reason think is that when it is turned
down it holds no water, like a basin, YOU
know, and down it comes.'" 1t is a yery
common belief that the weather depends upon
the moon changing before or after midnight;
q belief absurd on the face of it, as has since
been well observed, he moon may change
oOioiO bhStfO aJ siIler Twelve
at st. PauPs. DR.. Adam Clarke was obvious
OF this fact when he put forth q weather
prognosticator, through all the lunations Of
each year forever, showing the observer what
kind of weather will most probably follow the
entrance of the moon into any ore of her
quarters, and that so near the truth as to
seldom or never be found to fail. Our read
ers can easily decide as to the worth of the
reverend doctors weather guide; they have
only to note the time of the moons entrance
upon new quarter, and compare the actual
result with that anticipated by the prognosti
Gator. 1t would be useless to note his formu-
lated observation, for like all other prophesies
concerning the lunar phenomena, there is
total neglect of the fact that weather is local
and not universal. In other words,
the change in the moon that is sup
posed to have given good weather in the
south of England, has probably been attend
ed with exceedingly bad weather in Scotland.
Chambers Joatrnal.