The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-02-12
OF THE SKIES
IN FEBRUARY.
Some Brilliant Consultations VIII
Adorn the Heavens.
THE GREAT SQUARE OF PEGASUS
The Evening skies viii Not BE Favor
cd With the Presence OF Any OF the
brighter Planets Except Mars
Solar and Lunar Eclipses-

which our earth Is a member spIaHs
into existence. and whether 1t Will f'r-
ever remain as il IS as present are wv
o,tesft,us oil most important an" '-"-
eorn,ns interest. AS 10 the former queS-
tou the famous French astroho4"o4 "''
mathematician Lapace has luIhishou "
theory. which, with the exception on
some points OF minor Importance a'Ail''
go lar unusputeJ ana may o. I,bai"-
Cd as fairly established, though, as
matter oil course, no sucn Conclusive "'
m0nstrau0n can be given as ih d 50
metriCal proposition. Accoidln5 To t"''
theory. some time past-the SUBJECT pre-
cludcs definite numbers-the space oc-
cupied at present by the solar system
down 10 its remotest members was All-
ed ND low a nebul0us gaseous mass, most
pr9ga6v OF very niBl temperature
though this IS not necessarily essential
rhls tremendous ucbulous mass was act-
cd upon by its own gravtallon' ana az
necessary consequence Was put INTO I''
tary motion. thus assuming the shape
OF a sphere rotating on IT'S axis me
rate OF This aXial motion would nece7-
sarily increase with a diminuu0n OF lhe
Soume boy contraction. and 80 it coulo
not but happen that rings of ne'uloua
matter" would be thrown Off or 10
speak moro correctly, .ci oeAH1' WAC. DID,
bv way of inertia. would as new whole
rotate. and at last collect into q single
globe. Before this contamination, how
ever. IL might have left behind similar
rings. that also would finally assume
the globular form. This viii explain the
formation ~ thc planets ana iles.
This theory IS not alone supported 10y
that fine science called analytical me-
charics. but receives particularly
strong confirmation by the ring system
II the planet Saturn. which in ai pro-
liability IS I'm that state IN when me
sun and an the planets were before their
assuming the clobular shape When GER
tain phenomena are I'm accord with
theory which REQUIRES actual observation
the probability of It's truth is increased.
fN qHa SANE DlhE~llD->.
An the planets without amy exception.
rcvolve around the sun in the same de
recIon-ylz from west 90 east and so
do the satellites of Mars the Earth.
5uulter. and Saturn around their rec
euectiyc primaries. The s0-caliel rriro-
grade motions OF the satellites of Jra-
nus and NeItune. do not disprove the
theory. as may Dee satisfactorily explain
ed Mr. Lnckycr's comparatively recent
mcfe0ric hypothesis which at first
threatened to euhvert the ncbular hypo-
thesis of l1p'1cc. can successfully be
brought into harmony with 30. even sup-
posing shat 81 was really more than
mere speculation.
The answer 90 the question whether
the solar system as Sc stands now wii
Boz eternal or not, and, in the latter
case. now long 90 viii exist ia the pres-
cent condition. is very difficult and as
set impossible one, and confined 90 mere
speculation.
10 cannot but be evident oven TO "a
dull mind that. IL the temperature wcra
The same an over The earth the latter
would uo longer Doe inh.bitb.e for there
would no longer be currents OF air,
which are solely produced py the diff
ference of temperature. Clouds and rain
would cease. and the surface Of The
earth become arid. The same remark
holds good in regard to the universe
IF there We're uniform temperature
throughout tht w0rll energy tho1sh ar
such iuGcstrucuh.c. would cease % bo
available anj absolute sf1Tat.0n would
Roe the inevitable result There IS an
unmis'akab.e tendency toward uni-
fOrmity of temperature bat when this
VIII De c0nsummated IS beyond AN cali
culations.
OF al the sciences the cultivation Of
which forms such a salient trait of mod
ern times and stands in this respect FOO
such marked contrast 10 the middle
ages there is none that has made great
or strides towards perfection than astron-
omy; but even to her many things are
vet unrcvealed. To arrive 90 certain
conclusions I'm this science often re-.
quircs centuries whereas. in other
.'ences results may be obtained through
/ he Ingenuity Of the investigator az
through "a successful experiment
AS TO ECLIPSES
We VIII now offer % few remarks on
oclipses An eclipse of the sun can take
place only AT the time of ucw moon.
whom the moon is between the sun cud
.ho earth Since thc distance of tho
moon rs not always the same the length
NJ the shadow of tho moon varies ALSO
$50 that solar eclipscs. which are caused
1y the iutcrpositon OF the moon lo.
tween the earth and tho sun. cannot
''vavs Doe tho same Sometimes The apex
Of the shadow cone reaches the surface
1l The artn. and even cxton1iuc beyond
No. and then 90 an Observer within tla.
cone The sun is totally cc.in--I whore
as to an observer outside of fhnt cone
but within The penumbra. it appears as
20 partial eclipse. IN case that the sha-
dow of the moon is NOT lonr enough 10
reach The earth. no total eclipse can take
place. hut partial may Two solar
ecEpscs at least occur in one year. while
tl0n may Dee Years Nil lDuf "a lunar
eclipse. The least number of cchpses
that may occur within one year o. two.
both Ql which must be Of the sln. while
tne greatest number Us seven. On which
case five are OF the sur and two of thc
moon Three lunar ccipscs within "a
year are of very fare occurrence.
II the anciepts could not have any
idea of the accuracy of the Astronomical
-etvauols u4 lne present day, be-
cause they hai az THEN command neith-
or the powerful Instruments nor the as
slstance of that powerful lever matle-
mauCs they. Ineverthe ess had pretty
shrewd nouons OF eclipses. and could
Even the Chaldeans, Tie founders a. the
great Assyrian Empire. could make such
predictions by means of what they call
ed the "Sar0s,' by which they UNDER
stood a certain period after the termin-
alton Of which there would be a recur-
renee OF the same echpses.
THE FEBRUARY SKIES.
During the month Of February, the
evening skies viii not be favored with
the presence Of any Of the brighter
planets. except Mars; Saturn. Jupiter
and Venus hOnoring with their glorious
presence the morning skies until the
dazzling Light OF "Old SOL hides them
from our view. Uranus and Neptune,
though large planets are too distant 10
be seen with the naked eye. The stellar
aspect. however IS the more beautiful.
as some OF the most brilliant cOnstella-
tfrs will adorn the heavens during the
nights OF an the CONGREGATIONS that
give 10 the consultations their peculiar