Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-04-07
SKIES M APRIL.
The Duration Of the suns shining on the
North and south Walls of Buildings at
different Seasons.

north anu SOuth WHub VI AT l
different Seasons.
baltimore Sun.
During the month OF April the moon
will present tho following phases: Full
on the 9th, last quarter on the 18th, |
new on the goth, and first quarter ON
the 2Sth. On the 9th, at .. II p. m,
shs will BIO nearest to and ON tho 25tb,
at 2. "a y. M, most remote from the
earth. On the lat Of April the SUMS
declination will be degrees 30 minutes
and "A seconds. and in course OF the
month traverse an arc of 10 degrees 80
minutes and 25 seconds. Since ihe sun
is north of the equator rooms on the
north side of buildings will receive sun
rays during some Of the morning hours.
| The question how long the sun will
shins on the north walls of buildings,
and when it will cease to do SO and
begin to shine on the south side depends
upon the latitude Of the place and the
decination of the sun. The great circle
which passes through the zenith and
/ nHdir of the observer and ut the same
time through the east and west points
| of the horizon ia called the prime verti-
cal When the sun in her diurnal motion
reaches this prime vertical ii will cease
ia shine through the windows facing
the true north and begin to shine
through thosn facing the south. In
latitude 80 degrees AZ seconds, for in
stance, the sun will shine on the 21st
of june upon the north walls of build
ings exactly during the first half of the
forenoon, and upon the south walls
during the remainder. Until tho
astronomical beginning Of summer tho
rising and Hetting points of the sun ON
tho horizon will constantly shift north
ward, ana for the latitude OF Baltimore
will attain their maximum deviation
from the trup east and west points,
amounting TO 20 degrees Sc sscands, Oh
June 2lst. On that day the sun has
attained ts highest Forth declination
possible, and on the Arctic circle it
will rise due north, touch the horizon
at setting and rise again, thus present
ing the interesting and impressive Hpec-
tacle Of the midnight sun. This arc.
which, not alone in regard to the sun,
hut to any celestial object, measures
the distance OF the object upon the
horizun from the true east point, 10
called the amplitude, while the com.
plementarv arc hears the nams OF
, Bzimuth. although some writer's reckon
, azimuth from the south point clear
, round through the west to the point OF
teginnipg. In ATTITUDES exceeding that
of the Arctic and Antarctic circles the
, sun, during a portion OF the year,
, neither sets nor rises for days, and evan
for months, since the circle OF the sun g
diurnal motion ut these times does not
cut the horizon, but either remains
s above or below 1t. The more northern
and latitude the more does the diurnHl
circls on the sun tend to parallslism
0 with respect to the equator, and on the
/ poles this circle is exactly parallel to
the equator, which ia the horizon for
I tho poles. When the sun in its motion
. in decination reaches its limita-the
a soleticeH--it will for a brief time move
parallel to the equator. u reason why itt
motion near these points ia 80 oxcead
q ingly slow. At the equinoxes the vhria-
: BILE motion In declination is at the
Q greatest angle to the equator, in conse
: auence OF which IT is awifter than al
q any other time.
a Tho planet Mercury will be in Piacei
Q during the first half Of the month ant
y in Aries during ths second. 1t will b,
an evening star, though, on account o
its close proximity to the sun. fail t,
be discernsd with the unaided eye. Or
!. the 10th of the month Mercury will
y reach its greatest eastern elongation
q Venus also will he first In Pisces ANT
i then in Aries and for short time il
n the evening acting in the capacity OF al
y evening star. She will set between
d an o'clock, so that when the las
n glimmer OF the evening twilight ha
q vanished she may be seen close to tn
It horizon shining with that ulster which
10 is peculiar to her OF course, ever.
IT planet must at times act as evening o
10 as morning stars, but Venus has Away
D enjoyed the privilege of being botl
evening and morning star par excel
lencs. When morning star the ancient
called her Phosphorus, and as an even
ID ing star. Hesperus, though even insth
10 most remote times Of the past bot
n Phosphorus and Hesperus were recog
TX nized as the same planet by the belts
a. informed. Mars will be in Aquariu
g. during the greater portion of the month
10 but toward its termination reach tn
1T confines OF Pisces. 1t will not be visi
90 BILE during the hours OF darkness, TIL
s. kinply pinnet Jupiter is in Virgo an
~ after the moon. will certainly be tn
IN most brilliant object in the nUcturni
ne skies, shining az I'm evening star Wit
that luHter which viea with that {
Venus. Between 10 and II. 30 in th
evening the great planet will reach tt
do meridian, and will be visibls durin
ls nearly the whole extent Uf the nigh
u Saturn is in Scorpio and rises betwee
x, IL O'Clock and midnight. from whic
no time ii will remain visiblo unit
nd Wrapped up in the morning twilight
- Uranus is also IN Scorpiu. and Neptur
ne in Taurus, but, even when thoae tv
ON consultations are fayorably situated I,
'e- observation, ths stupsndous distance
O0 these two noble planets preclude Il
possibility of discerning them Within
the aid of a magnifying instrument.
The winter consultations, which 4
ne several months have so brilliantly
'ss UP the nocturnal skies, are gradual
on passing away, making room for tho
IN which are hera!ding the genial sense
y. of spring and summer AndromBdn h
les set, ana the splendid consultations
Ok Orion and the Two Dogs are on Il
W point of sinking beneath the westel
Ut horizon. The principal consolidate
that about o o'clock in the April eve
iugs will BIS on or very close to Il
hr meridian are Leu ami Hydra. leo,
* the Lion, is a fine constellation and q
~ fifth If these that constitute that Zig
H. belt, the zodiac, within which the 8,
aat and moon and planets perform the
iii iii motion amongst the stars. North al
- south Of Leo there are two constellatio
III of modern origin-Leo Minor, or Il
"' Lesser Lion, in the north, and Sextan
or thu Sextant, in the south. Hydra.
the Water Ssrpsnt. with Crater, or t
q Gun, and Coryus, or the Raven, all
n which really form one constellation Q
1orp