The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-11-03
THE SKIES In NOVEMBER.
THE POSITIONS or THE PAN
ETS.
LIBERATION of the Moon-Nevy Color for
TeIescopes-FourP Principal Conste lia-
tions These Evenings.


During the month Of November the
moon will be full on the 9th, last quar-
ter on the 18th, new on the 22d and
first quarter on the 18th. On the 5th
she will be nearest to the earth and on
the 18th remotest. 1t is a generally
known fact that in consequence of the
equality of the times Of a rotary mo-
ton of the moon on her axis and of
revolutionary one around the earth
we cannot see more than one-half of
her surface, and that half only. This
assertion, however, must be somewhat
qualified, for certain oscillations of the
moon, called vibrations, enable us to
see little more than just half her sur
face. These oscillations or librations
are of three kinds. While the moon
rotates uniformly on her axis, it re-
wolves in its elliptical orbit with une-
DUAL angular velocity. Near the apo
gee, where it moves sowest, she ro-
tates more than ninety degrees on it's
axis, while passing just ninety degrees
around us, and then reveals a little Of
the remote hemisphere on the eastern
side. Near the perigree, on the other
hand, where the orbital motion is rap
id, she makes less than one-fourth of a
rotation while going ninety degrees
around the earth. This brings into
view little Of the other hemisphere on
the western limb. This is called the
libration in longitude. A second IL
bration, called the libration in latitude,
is due to the fact that the moons axis
is not quite perpendicular to the plane
of her orbit, and her poles consequent
ly lean toward the earth alternately,
just as the earth's pole leans toward
the sun to produce summer and winter.
This allows us to see at every revolu-
ton of the moon a little way toward
her poles. The third kind, the diurnal
libration, is, strictly speaking, not so
much libration of the moon, but of
the observer, though the effect is in
reality the same as if it We're a true
lunar filtration. The moons motions
have reference to the earths center.
We look down over the western edge
of the moon when she is rising and
over the eastern when she is setting
by an amount equal to the radius of
the earth as seen from the moon
that is, about one degree, the moons
paraliax. Speaking of the moon, we
reiterate the remark that the belief of
an influence of the moon upon the
weather here on earth is a supersti-
ton not worthy of the present enlight-
ened era in which we live. Of course
the moon exercises an influence upon
the earth, as manifested by the tides, !
but none upon the weather, though
even some scientists have attempted
to prove that there is a slight differ
ence in the rainfall at different phases
of the moon. The greatest difference
thus claimed is so slight that it would /
require the most subtle observations to |
detect it. Among farmers there still |
prevails belief that the signs of the /
moon In which the crops are planted I
influence the growth of the latter
Such a notion is as preposterous as
that of fortune-telling and witches.
AN ANNULAR ECLIPSE,
On the LIST of the month the sun is
nearly fourteen degrees and twenty !
three minutes south of the equator,
while on the last it is a little more than
twenty degrees and thirty-seven
south of it-that is, only a lit
tiS iiioi tiioii pile QGSIGG HUH luS !
southern boundary, the winter solstice.
On the 22d of November an annular
eclipse of the sun will take place.
though not visible on the continent.
The path of the annular will begin
west of Africa, cross the southern por-
ton of that continent and extend
through nearly the northern part of
THE PLANETS.
The planet Mercury will be In Scorpio
during the greater portion of the
month, but toward it's termination en-
ters Libra. Venus acting yet as a
star, will be in Leo and toward
the end in Virgo. Since she rises be-
tween three and four o'clock in the
considerable time before
the morning twilight begins to irridate
the heavens, this beautiful planet may
be seen for some time by early risers.
Mars is lingering in Leo and rises a
little after eleven o'clock in the even
ng. Jupited, which for so many
months has adorned the evening skies
oy his genial light, will cease to be an
evening star, since he will vanish from
he sky at that time of sunset. The
planet is still in Scorpio. OF Saturn,
which is yet in Sagittarius, we may
latch a glimpse, since it will set few
minutes before seven o'clock in the
The calculation of the distances of
he planets, though it cannot but APP
year somewhat perplexing to those un-
amilth with mathematical processes,
PRESENTS no difficulty to the astronomer, ]
nd having determined these dis
ances, it is only necessary to measure |
heir apparent diameters in order to
ind their absolute diameters in miles. i
here is, however, a blue halo about t
he planets which renders an accurate |
bservati ton of the apparent diameter a
title more uncertain than it would be j
Without that halo. In connection with
his we learn from a recent number of t
scientific paper that by a new device E
hat halo about the planets may be re- d
Moved This new device is due to Prof. :
j. See and Mr.. George H. Peters, at /
he United States Naval Observatory !
is a color screen for improving the 6
efiniton of refracting telescopes, and Q
consists of small cell containing | V
uid through which the light of the f
tars passes in reaching the eye. The t
all ic achpd to tbe pVpDncp Of the .