Evening journal., 1900-01-04
JANUABY'5
W|NTRY SKIES
Positions the Planets Will As
sumo the First Month of
the New Year
EcLIPsEs DUE THIS YEAR

MAY % NEXT AND WILL BE Wis
IBLE HERE-wILL BE A TOTAL
ECLIPSE IN THE SOUTHERN
STATES.
The phases during this month will
be as follows: New on the LIST and
s0th. first quarter on the Sth, full on
the 18th and last quarter on the 2Sd.
The year 1900 is the last Of the nine
teenth century. In regard to this year
not a few people, in spite OF what fire.
quently has been mentioned in news
papers. labor under two erroneous i'm
pressions, viz: That it introduces al
new century. and that 1t is a leap
year. The new century will not begin
before the list Of January. 1901, and
not before 1904 shall we have a leap
year.
ECLIPSES.
Within this year three eclipses will
take place, two Of the sun and one Of
the moon. The solar eclipse, taking
place on the 2Sth Of May. will be
visible throughout the United States,
and be total from the southern part
of Virginia down through Mexico.
while north Of Norfolk, Va. It will
be partial IN the city OF Baltimore
it will begin at 7.4S q. m. or all
Phenomena Of nature there Is none
80 profoundly impressive and awe-in-
spring as a total eclipse of the sun,
and a trip to those regions OF the
country through which the shadow Of
the moon will sweep on the 2Sth Of
May Is well worth undertaking. 1t
scarcely admits OF any doubt that
many thousand people OF the North
ern and Middle States OF the Union
VIII go TO see a phenomenon which
comparatively few people have ever
had the privilege OF beholding. The
average breadth OF the eclipse track
win be nearly co miles. A second
eclipse Of the sun will occur on the
DIST OF November 1t will be annular,
but not visible in this country. A
partial eclipse OF the moon will take
place on the 18th of June, though II
will not be visible in this country
THE PLANETS.
While at the beginning of the month
the sun is a little more than % degrees
south of the equator, II will at its ter
mination be about 6 degrees nearer 1t
its rate Of motion constantly increas-
ing The planet Mercury will be frs
in Sagittarius, but later on enter Cap
ricornus. Venus is in Capricornus ant
will shine as an evening star. In thu
beginning Of the month she sets a lit
tie before 2 o'clock, but rising highel
and higher, she will set toward thu
4 90 81 81 nHo
ing the evening skies for a consider
able portion Of the evening Mars i
in Sagittarius and in q very unfavor
able position for observation. On tn
10th OF the month this planet will be II
conjunction with the sun and conse
quently invisible to the naked eye
Jupiter is in ScorDio and sets as
morning star At the beginning OF tn
month he will rise about 4 o'clock 4
the morning, but toward the end iii
tie after o'clock Saturn is 4
Sagittarius near the constellation q
Ophinchus and will, like its brothe
planet Jupiter, shine as a mornin
star. rising at first a few minutes al
ter o'clock, but in the latter part {
the month almost exactly at 8 o'clocl
ACHIEVEMENTS OF AsTRoNOMl
With the beginning of the last yes
OF the nineteenth century, than whiC
no previous century has been more PR
ductive in new discoveries and invel
tions, it is pertinent TO throw a bri
retrospective glance at what has bee
achieved in the noble field of u
science Of astronomy within the no
fast waning nineteenth century.
This science the reader will allow us
few preliminary remarks: OF all h
studies the human mind may devo
itself to, astronomy occupies the for
most rank IL is the oldest and mo
venerable of all the sciences; it pc
sesses all the requisites sof a tr
science and has, perhaps, a more dire
bearing upon practical life than a.
other. Astronomy has furnished us
measure Of time which is as near pI
lection as 1t is possible to attain. Wit
out knowledge and the aid of 1
tronOmy We neither could establish c
longimdes and ATTITUDES nor cross I
sea with any safety. The social
nautical science can no more be 81
arated from astronomy than geome'
or algebra from mathematics.
tronomy has called forth finer apr
cations OF mathematics than any oil
science Analytical mechanics,
highly developed by the enormous p
gress of mathematical analysis fl
its finest applications in astronol
and physics and chemistry have lar
ly been made tributary to IL.
contemplation of the worlds il has
vealed cannot but call forth the mob
and Hottest sentiments and aspirauC
The boundless universe II reveals
rs infuses into us a more exalted !
and conception of the Creator,
thus the science of the universe Is
be REGARDED as one OF the CRANE
revelations Of the Omnipotent r.
of the world. The sky on a cloud
night presents an attractive pic
even to those who know but littl'
the glorious orbs above us. and
those who have learned something
their wondrous size and distances
attraction is incomparably enhan
At the beginning OF this century
knowledge Of the structure OF the
verse was far advanced, but the
prising discoveries OF the phyl