Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1899-03-22
RETREAT. March Q. 1899

EDITOR CENSOR II wish TO call atten.
ton to the moon, whose light we so
much enjoy, aud whose apparent changes
are 80 interesting. When was young
I wondered why it was not arranged for
the moon to give her light regularly
evecy night as the sun does by day. /
thought afterwards, for long time,
that if we, in America, were to have
moonlight all the nights, the people on
the other side of the world would not
have any. 1t took me long time to
learn how to account for the apparent
changes, from a full, round, shining
face to little narrow sharp poinoed
circular strip of light, gradually chang
ing to larger and smaller, and being en-
tirely out If sight for several days and
nights at a time several times each year.
The moon is about two hundred and
forty thousand miles from the earth and
travels around it from west to east in a
little less than twenty seven days and
eight hours, moving about twenty-five
miles per minute, going thirteen times
around in little less than year, be-
sides going with the earth in it's yearly
journey around the sun, at a much more
rapid rate. What the object can be of
such exceedingly rapid motions has
caused great deal of thought. Man
was created capable of self -develope
ment and progress, and it is his duty to
learn, because his progress and happi-
ness depend upon knowledge. Nature
offers her store of wisdom, which con-
sists only in knowledge of her laws.
others are yet to be learned. 1t has
long been believed by some that the
moon exerts powerful influence on t1e
growth of plants, and that therefore,
planting should be done at the right
time of the moon. Other successful
planters pay no attention to it. As
moonlight is only reflection of sun
light, we rece We no light from it except
where we see the sun shine on it, ard
the amount we can see depends on its
relative position. When the moon is on
the opposite side of the earth from the
sun, we say it is full because We see it
from nearly the same direction that the
sun shines, and so see the whole of the
half on which it shines. 1t shines on
half all the time. The time it rises or
sets is later than on the preceding nigh
or day, but the length of time later,
varies from nineteen minutes to an hour.
The moon turns once over while it re-
wolves around the earth, and the same
side is always toward the earth, so that
the inhabitants of the moon have but
one day and one night, while we have
about twenty and only the in
habitants of the half towards us can
ever see the earth. The light reflected
from the earth exhibits to the inhabi-
tants of that half nearly The same variR
tions which the moon exhibits to rs,
while the other half has only starlight
during its long night. Ii it went around
the earth an exact number of times in
year, or while the earth goes once around
the sun, the time of it's rising woald be
the same on any given day of different
years. The moons path around the
earth is called her orbit. Its move
ment around the earth, from west to
east, makes it necessary for the earth
which revolves also from west to east,
to make little more than revolution
to overtake it, therefore it rises later
each day than the day before by about
three fourths OF an hour ON an average,
but varying at different times OF the
year. If the moon was stationary, or
so distant as to appear to be, it would
- hn n txy a
sun does. In going around the earth it
passes nearly between the earth and
sun, and when in that part of its orbit
is Invisible to us because it's dark half
is all toward US. When it has moved
far enough so the sun shines on part
of the side toward US we call it "nev
moon" When this occurs in the day
time we do not see it till after sun down,
and if it occurs towards morning very
ew people see it till ths following
night. When the moon rises in the
day time, the almanac tells what time it
sets, and when 1t sets in the day time
we are told what time it rises, because
we are much more interested in the
night moon than in the day moon. It
rises or sets at nearly the same sun
time in all parts of the world. When it
passes exactly between the earth and
sun it causes total eclipse of tie sun.
but is visible to only a part of the earth
because the moons shadow is not large
enough to cover the earth. But when
the earth is exactly between the sun and
mo ID, the earth's shadow covers the
whole face Of the moon and is visible
from every part of the earth where the
moon is above the horizon. When the
sun is eclipsed, the earth is eclipsed, if
seen from the moon, and when the moon
is eclipsed the sun is also if seen from
the moon.
Considerin the complicated nature
of the motions of various bodies, it is
wonderful how accurately the eclipses
aud all other changes can be calculated
These calculations indicate what man
has accomplished; and intimate what he
still may learn. SUBSCRIBER,