Evening journal., 1898-12-01
DECEMBER's SKIES.
Position Of the Sun and Move
ments Of the Planets.
A SOLAR AND A LUNAR ECLIPSE

THE CONSULTATIONS SOME
Observation-Disclosures STARS.
The moons phases during the month
Of December will be as follows: Last
quarter on the 6yh, new en- the 18Th,
first quarter on the 18th and fun on the
27th. She will be in apogee on the ID
and in perigee on the 18th and 29th.
The sun, which on the first OF the
month is but ~ degrees distant from
the extreme southern limit his dech-
nation can attain, will reach the Win
ter solstice on the 2lst, and from than
slowly turn northward again. On the
arctic circle the sun will touch the
horizon on that day, but not rise, while
on the antarctic circle he will not set,
presenting then the impressive spec
tac,e Of the midnight sun" The re-
gions north of the arctic circle will be
wrapt up in darkness and remain so
until the sun on his return trip reaches
the equator. while south of the antanc-
tic circle conditions will be reversed.
The planet Mercury win be in saglt-
tarius most of December, while Venus
win linger in the constellation Scor-
pio during the month, and begin to
shine again as a morning star, though
by no means being in a favorable po-
sition for observation. Mars is in Can
Ger, shining as an evening star, though
at present his brightness is hardly
greater than that Of a second magni-
tude star, being in this respect out
stripped by the numerous first magni-
tude stars that now adorn the evening
skies. Jupiter is in Virgo, acting, like
Venus, as morning star. The great
planet rises between 2 and o'clock
In the morning and may be seen in
the eastern eldes, shining with his in
herent lusgre until it has to yield to
the superior light of the rising sun.
Saturn is stil in Seorpio and invisible
during the nocturnal hours.
In course Of December two ecipees
will take place, a partial solar eclipse
on the 10Th. not visible in our latitude,
and a total lunar eclipse on the 27thi
vieible here. She win rise very nearly
t6 O'Clock p. m, eelipsed, the eclipse
fasting about an hour and a half. This
year has been much favored by
eclipees, as at it's termination six
will have TAKEN place in its course. The
lsast possible number of eclipses dur
ing the period Of one year is two, anc
in this case they must both be CEN
trail eelipses Of the sun, while th'
largest number possible is seven. fivl
Of these being solar and two lunar
For reasons into which we cannot en-
ter here, as a discussion of this sub
ject would require more space than Il
at our disposal, two solar eclipses mus
occur with absolute certainty within
one year, while whole year may paei
without the occurrence Of a soiitar!
eclipse CT the moon. Three luna
eclipses in one year are of very rarl
occurrence, and possible only unde
? particular circumstances and condi
tlors.
p. The first eclipse in this case mus
happen near the first day Of the year
If, then, a second eclipse occur Of
June %, the third must take place fl
the latter part of December. Since tn
year 1887 such a thing has not occur
red again. There prevails the erron
ous fmprC ssion that total eclipses G
4 the sun are of rare occurrence.
: average ten viii happen in eightee
= years, but they certainly are rare fc
2 any given place. since the track {
. the shadow is less than one hundre
miles wide. Az any given place on
( total solar eclipse will occur in avel
age every 800 years. The next totc
eclipse Of the sun that will be visib
within the boundary. lines OF th
United States will take place on Ma
, 27, 1900. 1t viii be visible from Louis
5 ana to Virginia, and the totality wi
: last two minutes.
' Another wrong idea seems to haN
, taken tenacious hold of the minds
- many persons, viz. that the proper M
y ton of the sun must AFFECT the rel
u tive position Of sun and planets.
. has been demonstrated conclusive
that the sun moves through space
the direction Of the constellation He
n cules. In former articles the reasol
have been mentioned why there Is SUI
/. motion in such direction, though
\. is hardly yet possible 10 establish q
- rate of this motion with the aecurai
!. with which the motions Of the pla
- cts have been determined. We find 0
= casionaEy the statement that the 81
moves at the rate Of i6 miles per Sc
ond, but such statements must be 7
ceived with some caution. Be tn
however, as it may, one thing lis certal
! viz, that the sun moves through spa
y at a great rate. carrying all the pa
!. cts satellites and other cosmical bod
- rr,to ,.,.o4snp pt .