The Louisiana cotton-boll. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], Attakapas, La.) 1872-1883, 1876-01-26
ASTRONOMY FOR 1878.

The year 1876 will be a leap year, its Dom
inical letters being b. 4, TIL epact is the
number Of days between the last new moon
and the first dSv of the new year. The epact
is used to tell Easter Sunday. This year the
cpact is 4, and Easter Sunday falls on April
ID, Ash Wednesday being March /.
There are two Pclipses of the sun during
the year. The first is an annular eclipse,
March %, visible only in its perfect phenom-
enen on a line from Nancouvcr's Island to
the northwestern shore Of Hudson's Bay.
Outside that limit it will be visible through
out the United States as n partial eclipse.
A total eclipse of the sun occurs on the after.
noon of September IL, not visible on any part
of the American continent.
The eclipses Of the moon in 1876 are also
two. The first occurs shortly after 10 O'Clock
on the night Of March .. 1t will he visible
in every part Of the United States and Can
ada. The second eclipse II the moon will
take place on September 3. II will be in
visible in this country.
The earth is in perihelion ,,,or nearest to
the sun, January 2, and in its aphelion, or
greatest distance from the sun, July /. The
earth is again in perihelion, December 81,
THE SUN.
The vcrnal equinox, or suns entrance into
Aries, occurs March 20; the summer ]solstice,
or suns entrance into Cancer, occurs June
20; the autumnai equinox, or suns entrance
into Libra, occurs September %; and the
winter ]solstioe, or suns entrance into Capri
corn, occurs December 81.
II PLANETS.
Mercury will be at his greatest elongations
from the sun January 28, after sunset, and
March 20, before sunrise. Ii the weather IL
clear he may be seen as q small disk, like
FURNISHED silver for one or days after
these dates.
Venus viii he an evening star till July Il,
and rise before the sun during the remainder
of the year. She will be at her greatest bril-,
liancy August 90.
Mars will be an evening star till August IL,
and rise before the sun the remainder of the
wear,
Jupiter will be a morning star till May II,
aud an evening star after that date till De-
ccmber Il. He will be stationary in the head
Of ScorpiO nearly all the year. At 1 o'clock
on the morning Of February 90 he will pass
so close to Beta, in Scorpio, that the distance
between the edge Of the planet and the star
wiil he only onc-niuth Of the apparent diam
cter of Jupiter.
Saturn will be an evening star till Feb
ruary II, when he will rise before the sun till
August p, when he will be on the meridian
mt midnight, and again an evening star lin
Aquarius) during the rest of the year.
Uranus will be on the meridian at mid
night, February 6. He will be in the head
of Leo.
Neptune will be on the meridian at mid
night, October 25.
CALCULATIONS.
February 3, from twenty minutes to o p. M,
to about half past II p. m, the moon being
near her first quarter, will pass over the
Plciadcs, oceulting in succession all the
prominent members Of the group except one.
She will again pass through the Plciades No
vcmber 2, from eleven to twenty minutes
past II IN the evening, oeculting three Of the
six that are ordinarily visible.