Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-03-03
THE SKIES IN MARCH.

During the month OF March the moon
will he full on the 9th, IN her last
ouartcr on tho 18th, new on tho 2Uth,
and in her first quarter on the 2Sth.
On the 9th sho will he 10 nerige', ana
on the 25th in apogce. While on lhe
lat of ths month the sun Is yet Z De
rtees, u minutes, 80 Bcconds south OF
the eountor, he will reach it at D. 06 q,
m. sastsrn standard time, on the 2Uth,
and mass during tho mouth through the
extensive arc of II degrees, I minutes,
IA uecnnds 10 t!eclinatinn, so that on
the last Of tho month lie will he nearly
degrees, II minutes north OF the equa
tnr. Ii cannot be too strongly lmpreHHen
unon the reader that the motion OF mol
only tho sun, but OF all celestial budles
is not uniform and cannot lie So as
none movee in n circle. Even II tho
eurth in its orhital, and consequently |
the sun in its apparent motion IN the
scliEtic were circular, neitner Inc
motion in declination nor in right as
csnsion could 10 uniform, as the plane
of the vcliptic is inclined to the plane
of tho equator at an ohlique angle, called
thu nbliauity of the ecliptic, upon
which the seasons OF tho year depend
We often hear sLch expressions as the
rnth of the earth being fixed in space.
There arc few, il any, things in the
domain Of astronomy that can he called
fixed in space. In fact, there are un-
ceasing changes going on, but these
changes are generally 80 slow US to es-
cane tho notice OF a superficial observer,
and fortunately they are periodic, 80
that they fall within ths possibility OF
computation. the eurth's path ia not
| fixed since the eciiptic changes it's
position among the stars, in consequence
| Of which the obliquity OF the ecliptic
undcrgoes very slow change. AZ
present it is a few seconds moro than
| 81 degrees, - minutes, hut in auout
$1,000 years it will he reduced TO y
degrees, - minutes, after which "
will begin to increase again, ihls
change is SO slow aud within such
narrow limits that it cannot produce
sensible alteration in the seaapns. AS
to the phygical means of sustaining
life on tho uarth there cannot bu any
doubt that, Of all the pursuits to which
man can devote himself. agriculture is
the most important. Agriculture is
only possible under conditions that do
pond up0n the Seasons, which, as we
have snih before. depend upon the rela
tive positions OF the ecliptic 10 tho
earth's axis, or, which amounte to tho
sams thing, TO the equator.
Now. here presents itself highly
interesting problem, viz. What would
he the most advantageous position OF
the ecliptic to the equator 10 order 10
produces the most advantageous effect
upon the solid and tillablo portion OF
the surface OF the earth for the pro.
,Iuction of all things that maintain
physical liiey A much larger, as we'll at
much smaller, angle than the actually
existing one bctwoon the planes of the
ecliptic and the equator would pro
, duce very material changes in the
Seasons and the climate, and the
question ia whether such changes would
] ameliorate or deterioraie these con.
ditions which are necessary for mans
| production Of the necesHaries OF lifol
Tho answer is that with the actually
existing ohliquity of the ecliptiG {
! maximum benefit ia attained, 40 thai
! in this case, AZ ha does in all othel
cases, Nature has chosen the happy
and golden medium. To benefit the
most 10 the iGeal Of all motives, anG
8 here again Nature sets us an example
worthy OF imitation. And il cannot b.
. an all-wise and beneiiccnt Creator
who, in Ills loving care for Us, ha
ordered and arranged all things 40 a
= 10 be OF tbu greatest possible bened
o for US.
/ The planet Mercury will be 10 Capri
cornus at the beginning, in Aqrariu
4 about the middle and in Pisces at th
u end OF the month. Venus will be a
t first in AquariuR, but during tn
j. greater portion of the mouth 10 Piscst
Y She will shine as an evening stal
/. though during the month Of March sh
a will yet be too close to the sun to shin
b long in tho evenings The reader hE
probably noticed that the planets Mel
> curry and Venus are 10 be found, IL nc
!. always 10 the same, yet in neighborin
9 zodiacHl consultations. The reason II
" this, however, is plain. as they are hot
1t near the sun and cannot, consequent,
be at vast distances from each ntle
Since they are inferior planets hat il
such as have their orbits within thu
of tho earth. they can only be in col
es junction and never in opposition henc,
they cannot be in quarter OF til
u heavens opposite to that in which til
" sun happens TO be. Mars is in Carr
g. corn, but toward the termination {
~ tho month will enter the confines ,
hquarins. The great planet jupite
W which is still in the Virgo, will act
y first as morning star, but in the lattl
0. portion of the month begin to shir
D. MS an evening star, III that before lnr
10 the two brightest nf all tho planets
u our solar system will adorn the evenir
ry skies with their wondruus Instr
'n Saturn, in consequence Of its slow M
tion among the stars, is still in Scorpi
W ana will not be seen under favorab
ne circumstances before several mont
/, have elapsed. Mars and all others
=, the 30 called superior planets-that /
~ such as have their orbits without th
ne of the eRrihcan lie both in co
III junction aud opposition, md ma
therefore, be seen at any time OF Il
night
of The two consultations Argo Nav
.re and Cancer will come To the meriuii
of about o. clock in the Murch evening
M Argo Navis, or the ship ArgO, 30 call
II. after the ship in which jason and {
no companions sailed from Greece to u
Oh chs 10 seek the golden fleece, real
Ia belongs to those southern cunstellatio
he of which in our latitude only a NORTH
ar can lie suen; but it is so importa
ami interesting constellation that
description of it is by no means out
place here We remark hers that
jer observer in the northern henispht
gs- can seq all those stars in the southe
~. hemisphere whose distance from [
I . equator 10 within as many degrees
ny his latitude lacks 30 degrees. Ar
be Navis is one Of the largest cnnste
ION tionR in the hnnvnna nb1 oartn;oi,- :,