The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-05-04
Written for The Tribune.

Written for The Tribune.
The editor of "Storms and Signs" in
his May issue makes mention of the
beautiful star which he predicted
would appear %, and calls special at
tention to the harm its message fore
tells. The whole story is misleading
to letter, and seems written for no
other purpose than to cause a sensa-
tional and somewhat bothersome story.
This beautiful star is the planet
Venus, which anyone might know by
referring to almost any almanac. and
on the 22nd IL will be in conjunction
with the moon. as will be seen in the
almanac marked conjunction Venus
moon: in other words the moon will
pass that degree of longitude which
Venus holds, thereby appearing to pass
each other. The editor also calls at
tention as to how the moon will pass
(Venus) the beautiful star" whether
north, south, or greet it in a friendly
way! Surely the professor" was in
great haste to get his pamphlet in the
press, for no one who would think a
moment could make such a muddle Of
it as he did; yet the effects he assigns
to it are fallacious. If he means
whether Venus or the moon will set
first, there is no necessity of guess
work as this can be told years before
hand.
AS TO VENUS.
About p. IN. on the 22nd of May the
right ascension in arc of Venus is ap-
proximately sc degrees, minutes and
its declination "a degrees, 32 minutes
(geocentric.) This event" he further
states, may cause high gales and
fierce storms sometime between the
18th and 23rd." Such events are only too
probable to occur, but 1t bears no rela-
tion whatever to the beautiful star"
it's cause being the continued formation
of mutual aspects on the goth inst caus-
ing the magnetic currents to be very
powerful. His story seems to be a mass
of superstitious nonsense intermingled
with self-praise egregiously. As TO the
remaining portion he writes, il does in
no way concern the writer's, but it is
lamentable to think how many can be
lead away from the true teachings of
the astral forces.
AN EVENING STAR.
The planet Venus will be a beautiful
object on account of it's size and bril-
lianCy, and it will be an evening star
until Dec 1st, when it forms an in
ferior conjunction with the Sun, and
after this it will set before the Sun
and therefore become a morning star.
1t will turn retrograde on the 11th of
November this year, and up to that
date 1t will be an object worthy of no.
tice in the northwest sky. just after
sunset. On Sunday, May 22nd, Uranus
is in opposition with the Sun, and when
the Sun sets. Uranus will rise in the
southeast, followed by Saturn. Jupiter
is also an evening star now in right
ascension ISL degrees and is nearly as
bright as Venus.
WHEN TO PLANT.
The best days in May for planting
corn, beans (pole or dwarD grain, let
tuce, flowers, etc, are the 3, 4, 5, 6.
from Z to 10 a. m. and 8 to p. m, and
on the 3Oth and 31st from 6 to s a. M,
and l to $50 p. b. The best days to
plant melons, cucumbers, pumpkins,
radishes etc, are the 90, "a, %, from
$50 to $50 a. m, and from to 4.20 p.
m. These dates may be relied upon.
For the good storms and Signs"
may do, we wish it every possible sue
cess. Ophiucus.
Nav orA