The New York herald., 1877-09-21
THE HARVEST MOON AND EQUI-
sD NOX.

CONJUNCTION OF MARS AND SATURN TONIGHT
OUR SATELLITE AT PRESENT IN ALL HER
oLoaY-A SECOND MOON TO THE EARTH.
The present moment Is ono that should In duce cven
the most indifferent lis their eyes and contemplate
the spendor oi the heavens. Tonight Mars, which
still retains its remarkable brilliancy. and Saturn viii
be in conjunction with the moon and our satellite
herself now within few hours OF full viii present
disk Of unwonted silvery brightness. The farmers
welcome the September full moon valuable irend
and IL has, in consequence, received the name OF
"Harvest" moon Tomorrow evening she VIII appear
In the ul oazc OF her glory. The Irregularities or varia
tions her face, indicating the existence OF noun
taps, valleys. ridges crascrs and plains will not Do
visible and tho whole formation takes tho character
Of surface marking not dlstnguishabe except IN the
very finest telescopes and under atmospheric condi-
tions Of great excellence. During the few nights
our companion IN the solar system VIII hold
clear, mild and chaste countenance and u the weather
be fine give out amount of light rarely equallec.
HARVESTING AFTER SUNSET.
The sun enters Libra tomorrow and with II sum-
mer ends and autumn begins. The amount OF heat we
will now and for some months to come receive from
the central uminary Will depend principally upon tho
time he remains above the horizon, in other words,
upon tho length OF the day. 1t has been observed at
tho near approach OF the autumna equinox (Scptem-
Der 22 that the moon instead Of rising as II usually
does, later day than on the preceding one,
rises on three four successive evenings just as the
sun sinks out Of sight in the evening. This phenome
non Is owing to the fact that the moon Is in Aries
when the part of the ecptic below the horizon makes
the least angle with it, The farmer, busy with his
harvest, an opportunity is given him for
crai evenings with light sufficient 10 con-
tinue his operations after sunset In former
fimn IN ehan nim 1
ordered purpose to give them an increased sup
ply OF moonlight for their greater convenience in reap
ing the fruits OF the gave the OF 'Harves
moon TO this particular full moon. Tho gathering in
OF the harvest has been in Europe from tmo mme
mortal joyous time, and ono whom hospitality is
pracsed with good will than At any other sea-
son. The custom has been when the work was COM
pcte to give a least TO all hands. male and female md
The anticipation OF this enjoyment generally ncited
the sborers In the field greater excrtlons Though
Shakespeare calls the moon ''cold and frutless," II
will DO that farmers count largely upon her assist
ance, TO late period the planting OF crops The
cutting down OF wood aud other such important mat
ters were regulated by the appearance oi our satellite
In fact considered necessary part of practical
knowledge aud ignorance or neglect OF lunar indlcs
tions would infably lead 10 loss and disappointment
WE ANOTHER SATELLITE?
The discovery OF Two satellites of Mars lends
interest the question, Is the moon the only sacl
lite Of the earth? IL is what astronomers have long
held and, indeed all the planets known to our solar
system, aud with still greater reason all the luminous
points with which the celestial vault is spanged
at almost incomprehensbic distances. Venus at its
least distance yet more than twentyfour millions
OF miles, that is TO say, 100 tmes further removed
than the moon Mars, now at its closest point, Is
thirty three millions of miles removed from the earth,
ABOUT l45 tunes greater than the moon. These are
the planets nearest to our globe But, besides
the celestial bodies whose orbits have been cal
culated there in our solar system innumerabe
small bodies which move around tho sun at distance
from not far from that of the earth These mecor5
shooting stars appear at certain periods. Their
orbits seem TO pass close to sphere, sometimes
crossing 1t at distance much than the moon.
Somo astronomers believe that certain number OF
falling many satellites OF the earth which
are drawn away, so to speak, by the earth from tho
more crowded hosts which rcvolve in troops around
the The phenomenon OF metcors, IL may be said,
subject oil discussion among scientists.
COMPANION TO THE MOON
NJ Petit of the Toulouse Observatory, has calculated
the orbit OF these groupso which he has
been able to obtain sufficient amount OF data. This
singular satellite OF the earth this companion OF the
moon, revoives around US in period that would not
three hours ana twenty m,nuics and its dis.
TANGO from tho centre Of globe, according to NJ.
Patit, OC0, 900 miles. In such the moon would
DO the only companion of the earth IN its annual
journey through space aud we would have near to
then, MINOR moons, whose illuminated faces would he
visible when they were not ecpsed, which would oc-
quite rarely since their orbits would not be very
much inclined to the orbit OF the earth.