Evening journal., 1898-04-01
TICKLE APRIL SKIES.
VIII Smile and Frown in Their
Usual Inconscquent Way.
AS AaTRONoMICAlLY CONSIDERED


FERENT SEASONS.
During the month OF April the moon
van present the tOAOwlng phases: FuM
On the 9th, last quarter ON the 18th,
new on the 2Oth, and hrsr quarter ON
me 26th. On The sun, at 5.l2 D. m, sne
VIII be nearest to ana on the 2otn, at
2.24 p. m, most remote from the earth.
ON the lst OF April the suns declina-
ton wlll be degrees 80 minutes "A
seconds, and IN course Of The month
traverse an arc Of 10 degrees 80 min
utes % seconds Since the sun is north
VI the equator rooms on the north side
Of buildings viii receive sun rays dur
ing 50 me of the morning hours. The /
question how long the sun will shine /
On the north walls OF buildings, and I
when it will cease to do so and begin !
| 10 shine on the south side depends /
upon the latitude Of the place and the /
declinauon OF the sun. The great cir T
I Gle which passes through the zenith
and nadir of the observer and at the
/ same time through the east and west 4
points Of the horizon is called the prime I
vertical. When the sun in her diurnal T
motion reaches this prime vertical 1t
viii cease to shine through the VIM
. tlUMH AAiluA AlN II uN AhNAAA tAAAA hAtfAAA
10 shine through those facing the
south In latitude 36 degrees 43 min
utes, Tor instance, the sun will shine
on The 2lst of June upon the north
walls of buildings exactly during the
first half of the forenoon, and upon the
south walls during the remainder. I'M
I'll the astronomical beginning Of sum-
mer the rising and setting points of
the sun on the horizon will constantly
shift n0rthward, and for the latitude OF
Wilmington will attain their maximum
deviation from the true east and west
points. amounting to 80 degrees So min
utes. on June 81. On that day the sun
has attained its highest north declina-
ton possible, and on the arctic circle
it will rise due north, touch the hori-
zon at setting and rise again, thus pre-
senting the interesting and impressive
| spectacle of the midnight sun. This
arc. which, not alone in regard to the
| sun. but to any celestial object, meas
ures the distance of the object upon
the horizon from the true east point
, is called the amplitude, while the COM
Elementary arc bears the name of all
muth although some writer's reckon
aziml.h from the south point Gear
round through the west to the point or
beginning In latitUdes exceeding that
of the arctic and antarctic circles the
! sun, during portion of the year,
neither sets nor rises for days, and
even for months, since the circle of the
suns diurnal motion at these times
/ does not cut the horizon but either
remains above or below 1t. The more
northern the latitude the more does
. I the diurnal ciScle Of the sun tend to
arallelism with respect to the equator
and on the poles this circle is exactly
parallel to the equator, which is the
/ horizon for the poles. When the sun
/ In its motion in decllnatiOn reaches its
limits-the sOlstices-it will for briei
time move parallel TO the equator, q
reason why its motion near these
y I points is so exceedingly slow. At tn,
!. / equinoxes the variable motion in decli-
< nation Is at the greatest angle to the
equator. in consequence Of which il
IS swifteT than at any other time.
{, THE PLANETS.
a The planet Mercury Will be in Pisces
l. during the first half of the month ano
# in Ares during the second. 1t Will be
p an evening star, though, on account OF
d / its close proximity to the sun, fail to be
- discelned with the unaided eye. On
e the 10th of the month Mercury will
e reach its greatest eastern elOngatiJn
d Venus also will be first in Pisces and
/ then Il Aries and for a short time IN
d the evening acting in the capacity Ol
/ an evening star. She will set between
q Z and 8 o'clock, so that when the last
n ] glimmer of the evening twilight ha:
G ] vanished she may be seen close to the
g horizon shining win that lustre whlcr
" is peculiar to her OF course, every
;, planet must at times act as evening
s ] or as morning star, but Venus has al
y ! ways enjoyed the privilege of beinl
2 ! both evening and morning star par eX
A | cellence. When morning star th'
C | ancients called her Phosphorus, and al
VI | an evening star, Hesperus, though
L J even in the most remote times OF thl
r ! past both Phosphorus and Hesperu.
C. / were recognized as the same planet b!
= the better informed. Mars will be il
3 I AQuarius during the greater portion O.
G l he month, but toward its termination
reach the confines of Pisces. IL viii
I not be visible during the hours O.
T. / lqrkuess. The kingly planet Jupiter il
C In Virgo, and, after the neon, will Ger
e I tainly be the most brilliant object Il
II / he nocturnal skies, shining as an even
: I ing star with that lustre which vie
Y I with that of Venus. Between 10 ant
II I l1.3O in the evening the great plane
e ! Will reach the meridian and will b'
! \ ,isible during nearly the whole exten
Il / If the night. Saturn is in Scorpia anC
l. ( rises between II o'clock and midnight
II / rom which time it will remain visible
q I until wrapped up in the morning tw
= light Uranus is also in ScorpiO, ant
}, Neptune. in Taurus. but, even wheT
d I hose two constellation are favOrabil
II Z situated for observation. the stupen
N / lous distance of these who noble plan
IS cts preclude the possibility Of discern
# ! ng them without the aid Of a magnify
e ] ing instrument.
d SPRING CONSULTATIONS.
The Winter consultations, which f0i
p several months have so brilliantly III
's Up the nocturnal skies, are gradually
d passing away, making room for tnosl
. which are heralding the genial se7sOI
p lf Spring and Summer. Andromeds
h | has set, and the splendid constella
Is tons Of Orion and the Two dogs arr