Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-03-05
HEAVENS IN MARCH.
THE FIRST MONTH WITH THE SUN
NORTH OF THE EQUATOR
Mesesw Escaps from Five p'seses Of the
u~sn--Oes or Two Cessascsions
That VIII ne Interestiog.


The month. and they gave The name Mar
thus in honor OF the god Mars. The eceie-
sastical calendar of England also began
with March until 1853.
There isan old saying that dusty"
March portends plentcous season, while.
On che contrary, a wet" March frequently
proves destructive OF both wheat and rye.
Thus such great importance for the re-
snsinder Of the year centres about March
that il would seem as though its place
should be nj the beginning OF the calen-
dar.
Particularly does this Apply in matters
Astronomical. as in March persons here
about again have the sun on their slde oil
the equator, whore they hold II for six
months. period including seedtlme and
The ripening Of the crops. tt Is quite
natural in repeating the sequence OF the
seasons to place spring first, and sstro-
nomical spring actually begins on ihe
18th. at which time the DAYS and nights
are of equal iength the world over.
The point at which the sun arrives ON
that day Is known as the first point OF
Ares. One would quite naturally oelisTe
that this important point renamed hzed
forever, = kind OF guide, rs II were. 30
chow old Sol jtst where 20 cross the line.
Such. boweyer, IL not the exact state OF
ton from east 10 west, IN coHse-
0rence OF winch tho sun. whose
motion Is direct. arrives somewhat
sooner than schedule time, and there
fore the equtnoxcs. and spring. 1ntann'
and the other seasons happen before tse
sun has completed an entire circuit. 1he
polar bears and other inhabitants OK the
Arctic regions. who have been warned by
the lengthening twilight that old sol him.
zelf would soon appear and that daytime
would begin. and who have set their eyes
on the exac, point % which 10 see the sun,
will find their calculations out by an IN
cremenf winch amounts 70 about one de-
gree in TIC years.
I'VE PHAsK1
There will be close escape from having
sve phases of the moon for March, two or
ghieh would have been full moons were u
not that the second full moon IS two hours
behindhand. and April lst arrives IN time
90 fool us ont Of having the somewhat rare
treat. On the 10th the moon IS ia last
quarter, while there is new moon on the
18th aud first quarter Oh the 2ltA. WINE
there are no conluncilcns Tor tne month
that can be compared IA scene eHec' WIN
those of the past two months, there are
one or two that will no doubt prove OF
interest.
The series began on the 4th. with Saturn
and the moon coming ut their nearest two
DAYS after the latter bas bloomed INTO fuil
epiendor followed on the 7th By Uranus.
ON the 18th By Venus. snd on the 18TH Dy
Mercury. none OF which VIII propacly ne
deserving of many remarks ON the part OF
the reporter OF heavenly tableaux On the
2gth the three-davf-O moon meets dupl-
Ter. but there IS far too much distance be-
tween the two Ia admit OF comparison
with the lovely picture OF two months De-
fore. Mars, who came SO close 20 the moon
about q week ago. Is pow further on than
jupiter: Neptune Is stall further. while
Saturn. who began the series. has the
honor of closing the same, but the moon IS
too near the full to admit OF seeing any,
thing striking.
The March full moon is rather too far
north to give that rich, full effect that Is
30 striking q feature when away down to-
ward the southeastern point he comes up
beautiful vspory saffron. The apparent
enlargement of the sun ald moon near the
horizon is IA optical deluslOn. connected
in some measure with the atmosphere,
OF which various explanations have
been given ever since the heavenly
bodies were first studied. According
10 the. ordinary laws of vision,
the celestial bodies, particularly the
moon. which is nearest the earth, ought TO
appear largest in the meridian, as the
north and south line OF tho heavens ~
called, because their distance Is then less
than when they are near the horizon; yet
daily experience proves that the contrary
takes place. The mean apparent diameter
of the moon at her greatest helght j.
thuty-one minutes OF arc IN round num-
bers, but 1t is well known that. when the
rose-hued edge of the rising moon peers
above the violet band OF the horizon she
seems far larger than when seen Oyerheau.
coMPARIaes THEORY.
This peculiarly is accounted for on the
comparison theory. or, IN other words, tue
opinion which Is formed OF the magnitude
OF distant body does not depend exclu-
siyely on the visual angle under when IL
appears. but also on its distance. aid one
Judged of the distance by comparison
with other bodies. When the moon Is
near the zenith there is no inter
posing object with which one can
compare her. On the other hand.
everybody is used to observe large ex-
tent of land lying between him and objects
near the horizon. at the extremity OF
which the sky begins 10 appear. and
therefore. supposes ihs SKY. WIN az .ne
objects that are visible IN II, TO he at q
great distance. The illusion IS also greatly
aided by the comparative feebleness or the
light of the moon in the horizon, which
renders one in "a measure sensible 10 tne
Snterposition of the atmosphere. Hence
the moon, while really subtending about
the same angle. appears alterhhte'y very
large and very small.
The position of honor among the planets
belongs IN March 20 Saturn, which on the
18th reaches the point known as opposi-
ton. or 100 degrees from the sun. ana
shortly after the orb of day sinks below
the western horizon Saturn viii appear
with vacillations of green, OF red, sna OIL
orange, aud remaining somewhat unset
tied in color and unsteady III appearance,
hs haa n dOrrppG
horizons line. The planet IS III the con.
stellation of Virgo, the brightest star OF
which Is called Spica, TO be found about
nine degrees to the southwark. The star
is of the first magnitude, and as general
thing the planet may be compared TO
i IN size. but under the present conditions
HE latter is very much the larger; In fact,
The diameter OF Saturn at this time ex-
ceeds It's measure In any other portion OF
this year.
THIRTEEN DAYS.
The period of opposition NAV be found
Tor each succeeding year BY adding thir-
teen DAYS to the date on which 1t falls tor
the current year. When examined under
favorable circumstances the surface OF
Saturn is seen 90 be diversified with faint
markings, 10 which have been given the
name OF belts. These belts change their
aspect from time TO time. but they are SO
lowed. II is. therefore. IN general, difficult
90 saw with certainty whether one does or
does not see the same face OF Saturn on
different nights, and consequently II 10
only on extraordinary occasions that the
time of rotation can he determined.
Jupiter's drawing nearer and nearer the
point OF sunset has probably been re-
marked upon by ali who are interested IN
watching the changes among the many
colored diamonds that dot the sky. Be
fore the month IL over il will be nard to
distinguish him in the purpljng twilight.
and in April he who was once lord
OF the evening. stars will have DIS
appeared entirely from their conpa-
nv. Those who are the fortunate pos
SCISSORS of telescopes have an excellent
chance when Jupiter is fayorably situated
10 study the belts which surrourld him.
Formerly these belts were described as
being but two in number. but the moro
powerful telescopes of recent years have
shown that far more complex structure