Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-09-22
Alefau0rla Wax&tte
&
SATURDAY EVENING, SEPT K. q.
The Harvest Moon and Equinox.

The present moment is one that should in
duce even the most indifferent 10 lift their eyes
| and contemplate the snlendor Of toe heavens.
| Tonight Mars, which still retains it's remark
able brilliancy, and Saturn will be in COZ unc,
| ton with the mooo. and our satellite herself.
now within 8 fem ionrs Of full, vii! present
disk Of uuwonted sil7cry brightness The farn-
ers welcome the September fall moon as val
liable friend, and it has, in consequence, re-
ceived the name of Harvest moou. To.mor.
row evening she will appear ia the full blaze Of
her glory. The irregularities or variations on
her face indicating the cxistepce of mouDtaios,
valleys, ridges, craters and plaius will not be
visible, and the whole formation takes the char
acter of surface marking not dlstlugulshable
except 10 the very ieest telescopes and under
atmospheric conditions Of great excellence. Du.
ring the next few nights our near compaolon In
the solar system will hold clear, mild aud
chsste countenance and it the weather be fine
give out an amount of ight rarely cqualled.
The sun enters Libra to morrow, and with it
summer ends and autumn begiDs The amount
Of heat We vii! now, and for some months to
come. receive from the ceutra lumiuary, will
depend principally upon the time be remains
above the horizon, or, 10 other words, upon the
length of the day. 1t has been observed at the
near approach of the aulumual equinox (Scp.
tember 22) that the moop, instead OF rising, as
it usually does later on one day, than on the
preceding one, rises on three or 1our successive
evenings Just as the sun sl0ks out OF sight 10
the evening. This phenomenon Is OWING to the
fact that the moon is in Aries when the part OF
the ec!iptc below the horizon makes the least
gorp hus ypitb har
vest, an opportunity is given him for several
evenings with light sufficient to continue his
oneratiops after sunset. in former times bus.
bandmen, not doubling that it was SO ordained
on purpose to give them an increased supply OF
moonlight Tor their greater convenience 10
reaping the fruits OF the earth, gave the
name Of "Harvast' moon to this particular
full moon. The gathering in of the harvest
has been 10 Europe from time immemorla
Joyous time, and one when hospitality Is
practissd with more good will than at any other
season. The custom has been when tho work
was complete to give feast to all hands, male
and female, and the anticipation OF this enjoy.
mcnt generally melted the laborers in the field
to greater exertioos. Though Shakespeare call.
the moon "ood and iruitIess, it will ho seen
that farmers count largely uroa her assistance,
and up to late period the planting OF crops,
the cutting down of wood and other such ln.'
portsnt matters were regulated by the appear.
ance of our satellite. In fact it was considered
a necessary part of practical knowledge and lg..
uoranoe or neglect OF lunar Indications won!
infallibly lead to loss and disappointment.
The recsnt discovery OF two satellites OF Mars
lends interest to the question, Is the moon
the only satellite Of the EARTH 1t Is what as
trouomers have long held, and, indeed, ali the
nlaoets known to our solar system, and with
still greater reason all the luminous points With
yhicn the celestial vault is spangled are at al
most inconpreLcnsiblo distances. Venus at lts
least distance is get more than twenty, ,iour mil.
lions of miles, that IS 10 say, 100 times iurther
removed than the moon. Mars, now at It's
closest point, is thirty three millions Of miles
removed from the earth. or about l45
times greater than tho moon. These are
the planets nearest to our globe. hut, besides
the celestial bodies whose orbits have been cal
culated, there are in or solar syatem lnnume-
rablc small bodies which move around the sun
at distance from it cot Ter from that OF the
earth. These meteOrS or shooting stars appear
at certain periods. Their orbits seem TO pass
close to cur sphere. sometimes crossing It L! L
distance much nearer than the InGon. Some
astronomers believe that certain numoer OF
falling stars arc SO many satellites OF the earth
which are drawn away, 80 10 speak, oy INC
earth from the more crowded hosts which re-
volyc in troops around the suo. The phenon-
enon of rneteors, it may be said, yet remains a
subject of discussion amung scientists.
NJ. Petit, Of the Toulouse Observatory, haa
calculated the orbit Of one Of these groups Or
zones OF which be has been able to obtain a sui
6cient amount of data. This singular satellite
Of the earth, this companion of the moon, re.
wolves around US in period that would not cx'
ceed three hours and tweuty minutes aud its
distance from the centre OF our globe according
to NJ. Petit, is 5000, 900 miles. In SUCH case
the moon would not be the only companlon OF
the earth in its annual Journey through space
and We would have ucaC 10 u', thtD, moor
moons, whose Illuminated faces would DO VII
BILE when they were not ecIipsed, which you'd
occur quite rarsy. since their orbits would o9t
be very much inclined to the orbit OF the earth.
N Y Herald 2lst inst
EaAH SALE CSfE ssENE.