Smyrna times., 1890-09-10
The Sky in September.
INTERESTING ASTRONOMIC EVENTS
THE HARVEST MOON-THE
PLANETS.

PLANETS.
In the popular sense a new epoch in
astronomical annals is reached in Sep
TENDER. On June 81, when the sun in
its apparent journey around the earth
reached the most nOrtherly point in
its travels, it swung in its course, and
since then it has been sweeping to the
southwark. Three weeks hence, or on
September %, it dashes across the au-
tumnal equinox, which is sort of a
half way post on the line of its Journey,
and moves onward to the turning
point, which will be passed on Deem
Der 81. When the sun reaches the
equinox term which means equal
night"-whether going north or south,
days and nights, in a theoretical sense,
and equal all over the globe except in
the region of the poles. North of the
equator the days have been shortening
and the nights frightening since the
latter part of June, and in the latter
part of September the differences in
duration between them will be swept
away. South of the equator the days
are lengthening and the nights short
ening.
Another astronOmic event of popu-
lar interest in September is the occur
ence of the harvest moon. This term
is applied to the full moon which comes
near the autumnal equinox. In 1890
the harvest moon will happen on Sep
TENDER %. The moon will be on the
wane when the month begins. On the
14th It will enter its new stage, on the
2lst arrive at its half phase, and seven
days later its full broad disc will be
swinging into view over the easterly
horizon as the sun sinks out of sight in
the west. The popularity which has
given this particular full moon this
designation is the fact that it rises on
several successive evenings at nearly
the same time by the clock.
In march the full moon rises a little
more than an hour later and later each
successive evening in this latitude.
To the simple minded peasants ofEng-
land of an earlier age this singular con-
duct of the September full moon was
looked on as providential. The moon,
in their view of the matter, appeared
at nearly the same time in that season
so as to give them an uninterrupt ed
period of light for several days and en-
able them to continue their harvesting
on into the night without intermission.
Of course this apparent Oddity in the
actions of the September moon has a
ready and adequate explanation on
scientific grounds.
During September Venus will repeat
and continue the triumphs which she
has been achieving for the past two
months. She is fairly in view on an
average, about all hour and half after
sunset throughout the next few weeks.
On the 23rd she reaches her greatest
angular distance from the sun, as view
ed from the earth, being 49, east of the
solar orb at that time, space some
what in excess of third of that sep
arating the horizon from the zenith.
Jupiter, throughout September, will
fairly rival Venus in the splendor of
his lustre and far surpass her in the
duration of his sway. Before the close
of the evening twilight, Jupiter may
be seen in the southeast, but farther to
the west at that time of the day than
he was month ago. He will be in
the field of view until after midnight. |
Next in interest to the ordinary
star-gazer among the planets during
the next few weeks is Mars. The fiery
planet is now too low in the frma-
ment when he comes into view to be
very strongly suggestive of the mag
niicent spectacle which he presented
in the heavens two months ago. On
the Dist he will pass the southerly
point at sunset, but when he comes
fairly into view an hour later he will
be in the southwest. At the begin
ming of September he sets at 1870 and |
about an hour earlier at the end of
the month.