Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-03-30
THE SKIES IN APRIL.
SHIFTING OF THE POINTS OF THE
SUNS RISING AND SETTING.
The Moons Librntions ana Phases
During the Month-IIarvest Moon
Position OF the Flanets-Thc Stel-
lar Aspect.
Baltimore SUM-

Baltimore SUM-
During the month OF April the moon
will undergo the following phasesi First
quarter on the "a, full on the 9th. last
quarter on the 18th. and new on the 2ith.
The average length Of the day will be
ls hours and q minutes Since the 2st
OF March the sun IL In Its northern de-
clination. lengthening the days at the ex-
pense OF the nights. and ushering In the
ardently longed-for season of spring.
Not irfrequently people will express their
wonder why in some seasons the sun Will
does not. These persons forget or are
ignorant CT the fact that the sun does not
rise or set at the same point OF the
horizon throughout the year, but that
this point shifts neutrality-suspicious.
in winter and spring. southwark In sum-
mer and autumn. At the equinoxes the
sun passes the equator. and at
the solstices II reaches It's north
ernmost and southernmost points. Know
ing the exact direction of the wall OF a
house or a window. the mathematician
IS able to calculate accurately the d.
mension, shape and exact position OF a
figure illumined by the sun on the inner
wall Of a room on any day of the year.
TWOFOLD INFLUENCE.
In our last article we spoke of and ex-
planned the moons phases Ad mentioned
her size and twofold influence she exerts
up the earth-first, by producing the
procession Of the equinoXes. and. second
l.. with the aid OF the sun, the more IA
miliar phenomenon Of the tides. Space
did not permit us 10 add some Interesting
features pertaining TO this constant COM
panion OF the earth. which, during the
greater portion Of each month. tempers
the darkness of our nights by her genial
and soft light. As n natural consequence
OF the fact that the moon makes one ro-
tation on It's axis IN the same time in
which II performs one revolution about
the earth. IL can show us only the same
half of its surface, forever hiding the
other half from our vision. TO realize
this fact. one need only turn once around
In the circumference Of a circle. facing
its centre all the time. and 1t VIII be at
once perceived that the body has per-
formed one circuit on its axis. Here IL
must, however. BE- remarked that every
sidereal month we catch a glimpse a
little further round Oh the equator Of
t'lt UlDpI, ilSl on one Slle ana Nltu Ga
the other. fact which arises from the
moons revolution I'm an cllipticai orbit
with an unequal angular velocity. This
Is called the moons lbration in lonSi-
tude Since the equator Of the moon Il
also inclined a little 10 its orbit. We al
ttrnately extend our view beyond its two
poles. which is called the moons libration
in latitude There Is even a third libra
ton. called diurnal or parallactic, which
arises from the fact that when the moon
| Is on the meridian we look at ii as from
| the centre OF the earth; whereas. when If
| is on the horizon. we view II from a po-
sition about 400 miles higher. thus en-
| abling us 10 see q little beyond it, west
| ern limb at rising and its eastern at set
ting.
RETARDATION.
| Everybody has noticed that the mJci
| rises or sets every night later than tht
| night before in average about an hOu.
| bat this retarGation Is subject to varil.
| tons. In our latitude the least retarda-
| ton is about u minutes. the create.
rather more than hour Is minutes Nov
| when this retardation has its minimum
| value near the time OF full moon, the
| moon rises soon after sunset on several
successive evenings. and as this happen.
only I'm August or September, the timC
| VI tH' Hdl NtTl III isbbldli' tu' IlpOu ~
That time has been called harvest moon
| proving rather advantageous to the farm
| or At the busy season.
| Soon after sunset Venus. the evening
| star par excellence. can be seen in al
| her dazzling beauty In the Southwestern
| part Of the celestial vault. and will shine
| with that lustre peculiar only 10 The
brighter planets until nearly Q O'Clock
| in the evening in the constellation Aries.
NJ g.. "a 81.
stll figures as another evening star
yielding 10 Venus and Jupiter in bril-
| liancy, but still forming one of the most
| conspicuous objects In the Heavens. This
| planet is in Taurus, while Jupiter. almost
| as lustrous as Venus adorns the constel-
| lation Gemini. Looking TO the east we
| see another of those princely planets.
| Saturn. in the constellation Libra. SO
that the nights Of April are. 1t seems,
| especially favored by the presence OF
| planets.
| SIRIUS, THE KING.
| In order to obtain a beautiful view OF
J the skies we must direct our looks to the
southern portion OF the celestial vault,
| which outstrips in briliancy the other
| parts. First of al, orion Tiv Is the at
| tention with its belt hi southeastern
direction, the first magnitude star. Be
| telSuese above. and the still brighter
! Rigc below. Extending the line Of IN
| three stars in the bolt II will nearly pass
| through Sirius the king of the fixed stars
| as to brilliancy, and that Of the very
| planets. and not infrelUently deludins
PERSONS not very familiar with the geo
graphy of tn heavens into the BE-
lief that II is a planet. ProcyOn, In the
| Little Dog. Castor and Polux in Gemini,
| Capella In Aurisa. Aldebaran. with the
| Ilyades, and Pieiades in Taurus add their
! beauty to this grand panorama. whilst
| among all and in their vary midst Jupiter
| is seated. as it were, on his royal throne,
| surrounded. like potent king. by a mag
| nihccnt cortege OF stars. The beauty of
the picture is stiil more enhanced 10y I'll
presenca Of Mars, Venus above the west
ern. and Saturn above the eastern horizon,
| the latter rising as though q sirous of
| adding his share to the beauty Of the
| starry ASPECT. Turning 10 the north we
perceive the seven stars Of the Great
| Bear TO the east OF the north star. whila
| on its western side. at almost the same
| distance from II, CasslOpCia attracts the
| attention by its peculiar shape. Almost
| on the meridian the conspicuous cOnste Ia
ton Leo, the Lion, with its sickle-like
form. and its bright stars Regulus and
| Denebola. cannot fail to arrest the be-
holders attention. Somewhat later in the
| evening we Sc III an east.ily direction
! OF the Groit Bear star rising which
| one will recognize nj once as a star of the
| first magnitude. This Is Arcturus. Some
| what 10 the south Of this star viii be
perc lived which. with Arcturus and Dene-
bOla, forms a large triangle. 1t is also a
hrst-mag1iiude star. called Spica. or Al
pha Virgins. the principal member OF the
| 2odiacal constellation Virgo, or the Nir-
| Kin.
Whnt Doctors Sry OF bicycling.
The New Yor'; Herald says: '"rhe
! HCral0's European edition published re-
| Gently in it medical columns an article
giving the Views OF physicians regarding