The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-04-01
APRIL EVENING SKIES.
They viii Present Many Celestial Clean
of Unusual Interest,

They will Present Many Celestial CLEANS
of Unusual Interest.
The April evening skies, always an at
tractiye study, are this year favored with
many celestial CLEANS Of unusual interest.
The first full moon after the 21st of Marc h,
the period of the yernal equinox, has sDe-
cial significance in ecclesiastical reckoning.
Its effulgence has long been the herald of
the Hebrew feast of Passover. and since the
Christian era, it has been the harbinger of
Easter, the observance of which festival
was-assgned TO the following Sunday. AS
Economically, the paschal full moon differs
little from i similar phase in our satellite
at other seasons; but the recent crescent
may have been noticed to CLEAN horizon
tally, like floating silvery strff in the
western sky, While the waning moon will
pOise perpendiculary above the east hori-
zen, toward the middle of the month before
daybreak. These seemingly reversed atti-
tudeS are really due to the position the
morning and evening horizon hold to the
moons path at this season. Its autumn
similar effects occur, but in a reversed
order. At / 10 A. NJ, April 9TH, the fully
Illuminated disc is turned earthward, and
II the midnight hours are cloudless, it gi!ds
our landscapes more effectively than at any
other time during the present lunar month.
After the 10th inst. the moon, having
passed its descending node, will lie south
OF the celestial equator, and on the 18th.
being in perigee or the point Of its orbit
that lies nearest the earth, win be many
thousands OF miles less distant than usual.
The lesser lights of tile armament, pre-
vlously loss in its rays, will commence to
glimmer out propitiously for observation in
the second week in the month; many stars
OF the first magnitude being visible in the
evening hours, while several planets dispel
the gloom of dawn and dusk, or lend their
luster to the midnight sky.
First IN radiance is Venus now an even
ing star, which may DE seen glimmering in
the west after sunset for nearly the re-
malnder OF the year, at varying distances
from the horizon, toward which it gradu-
ally sinks as darkness increases.
Seen through telescope, its silvery disc
is at present gibbous like the moon a few
days before, or after, its full phase; but, be-
ing at distance of about 10000, 900
OF miles from the earth, the apparent size
OF Venus is less thar when in the crescent
phase, and at one-sixth the distance, as it
VIII be some time hence. In either phase
the fair planet is the brightest of all stellar
lights. But as it shines with borrowed
ulster, to I he mental vision, the seemingly
inferior fixed stars are grander study, as
OF marvellous. size, and with a luminosity
entirely their own, they shine down
upon US from the far-off depths of space.
Those OF the first magnitude have each
some peculiar aspect well-known to the
practiced observer. The following de-
serlptive remarks may enable those un-
familiar with their aspects and positions to
readily recognize few that are conspicuous
IN the present season:
Looking southwark at dusk we see Pro-
eyon, white. star. not very far FROM the
zenith. 1t may be better identified by no.
ticlng the faint orb of the fourth magnf-
tude that lies near it in a northwesterly
direction. Farther north and nearly in the
zenith are the Twins. Castor and Polux,
much alike III size and tint, though Pollux
is low slightly the larger of the two. There
is some evidence that their relative sizes
have changed within the last few centu-
ries.
Northwest is Capella, represented on an
cient star-maps as goat with kids, few
small but bright stars to the south, in the
form of an acute triangle, marking the
place OF the latter. In the opinion of the
superstitious ancients these little orbs glis-
tened with ili-omened fires, to which belief
the Greek poet, Callimachus, alluded when
he wrote, more than 1000 years ago, "Shun
the sea, o sailor. at the setting of the
kids"
To the west is Aldebaran In Taurus, and
southwest the well-known constellation of
ORION, and Sirius, next to Venus, the
brightest star in the western heavens. In
the. eastern heavens may be seen the con-
steilation Of Leo, aud the name of the lion,
also known as the Sickle, is not far from
the meridian at dusk. Regulus, O pale star
scarcely equal to others of first magnitude,
with which, however, 1t is classed gener-
ally. represents this handle, but the planet
Saturn, at present little to the north of 1t,