The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1897-09-09
SKIES In SEPTEMBER.
OBLIQUITY OF THE ECLIPTIC, UPON
WHICH THE SEASONS DEPEND.

WHICH THE SEASONS DEPEND.
The Sun Will Reach the Equator Ear
~ in the Afternoon of the and
Earth's Atmosphere not Affected
by the Planets-Saturn and His
Wonderful Rings.
In the course Of the month of
September the phases of the moon will
be as follows: First quarter on the sd,
full on the 10th, last quarter on the
18th and new on the 10th. On the
Ist at s P. NJ. and on the 2Sth at ! P.
NJ. she will be in perigee, and on the
10Th at p NJ. in apogee.
On the 1st of September the sun will
be 50 6 north of the equator, and
reach it about O'Clock p. NJ. on the
22d. On the last Of the month it will
be 50 south Of the equator, thus sweep
ing in course of the month through an
arc of little more than II0 Of decll-
nation, which is but little less than
half Of the whole extent of its course
either north or south.
The reason why the sun cannot get
higher than 230 II above the equator
lies in the fact of the eclip.ic cutting
the equator under that angle, which is
called the obliquity of the ecliptic.
Upon this obliquity the seasons of the
year depend. A change in the obliquity
of the ecliptic would produce CORE
spending change in the seasons, and
it is, therefore, quite pertinent ques-
ton whether this important angle
which the plane Of the equator makes
with that of the ecliptic is subject to
any changes.
The ancents labored under the
disadvantage of making their measure
ments Of latitude, obllqulty, length Of
the year, ETC., with very crude
! instrument, the gnomon, which must
be considered the simplest of all
astronomical instruments. In fact,
the gnomon is nothing more than a
pole, or a column of known height,
erected on perfectly horizontal plane.
| BY measuring the length of the
shadow cast as noon at definite times
Of the year they succeeded in arriving
at tolerably correct results. In this
way they determined the maximum
height of the sun in declination, which
is, as said before, the obllqui,y OF the
ecliptic. This obliquity is at present
"a less than it was 1000 years ago,
and it decreases about half second
each year. This constant decrease
will continue for about $1,000 years,
after which period it will increase
again. The minimum oblquity will
be 20 IS, while at present it is go Fl.
The effect of this diminution IN the
ohliquity of the ecliptic will be slight
decrease in the temperature in the
temperate and frigid zones and an
increase in that of the torrid. This
change in the obliquity, like that in
the eccentricity of the earth's orbit
and the revolution of the line OF
apsides, is caused by the action which
the planets exert upon the earth. We
here reiterate that the slight changes
in the above mentioned quantities are
the only ones the planets exert upon
the earth, and the assertion we So
| often meet with of their exercising an
influence upon our atmosphere and the
| condition of the weather is absurd and
savors Of gross ignorance. Atmns'
that have absolutely nothing TO dc
with the planets and the phases Of the
moon. OF course, all the planets, 10y
virtue of the mutual attraction tina,
prevails among them, produce certain
disturbing effects called per,urbatlons
but these effects manifest themselves
by certain changes in what is called
the elements of the planet, but in
no wise by the rise and fall of the
temperature or the currents Of the air
The planet Mercury will enter the
constellation Leo in the early portion
of the month and remain in the same
until its termination. 50 will the
planet Venus after lingering for a
brief time in Cancer. 1t rises between
and : o'clock A. NJ, and conse
quently will shine as morning star
The planet Mars is in Virgo and
Jupiter in Leo. Saturn may still he
seen until nearly IL o'clock in the
evening in the boundary line o
Scorpio and Libra, both Of winch
consultations are bending toward The
western horizon. The planetary aspec
of the heavens during the month 0
September is therefore not as favorable
this year as it will be at other times.
The next planet in distance and siz'
after Jupiter is Saturn. BY the ancient
it was considered the remotes, of al
the planets. Its mean distance from
the sun is about 81 times the distance
of the earth from the sun, or, in tech
nical language, 9H astronomical units
Its mean diameter is about 9 times tn
earth's, which makes its volume 3d.
times the earth's. Saturn performs ;
revolution about the sun in the lon
period of 2oH years, which causes it
slow motion among the constellation
of the zodiac. Its synodic period
, however, is but 378 days. One of tn
various peculiarltles Of the great plane
is its small density, being but one
eighth that of the earth, and, there
fore, its mass is only 95 times that {
, the earth. OF all the planets Satur
is the leas, dense. 1t turns on its ak
. in very nearly ten hours, 50 that
poin, on lis equator revolves ~ time
as fast as pom, on the equat II of III
earth.
, There is, however, one peculisrl,
attached 10 the planet which rendel
it the most magnificent and unique
. all celestial objects known. luplte
with its four large satellites and Il
| l,.aI,, l,rco,aveI email one Certa nj