Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-02-08
TIRE SKIES in FEBRUARY.

First quarter on the 0tn, 1ull on ine
14th, last quarter on the 22d, but new
moon will not be before March LIST. On
the 18th the moon will be at her |
greatest distance from tho earth, while
10 course OF the month she will not
attain her nearest approach to the
earth.
The sun at the beginning Of the
month will be II degrees 8 minutes
south Of the equator, hut by the end of
the month 0 degrees 30 minutes nearer
It. The planet Mercury will be in Capri
cornus during the greater portion OF
the month, but toward the end passes
into Aquarias To catch glimpse OF
the planet with tho naked eye is q very
rare affair and to be considered IAN
event In PERSONS life. on account OF
the planets close proximity to the sun,
and consequently its appearing only in
the twilight. Not n few persons have
watched for it night after night when
the planet wac in a more favorable
position for observation, and In not
few cases, when they thought that
their Efforts we're crowned with sue
cess, their triumph in having at last
found tho Mercurial traveller turned
out sad illusion, fer it was not he,
but Venus, or GONE other bright star
they had observed.
The famous Copernicus, to whom We
owe the establishment of our solar
system, is said to have never seen this
planet. Still, 1t is quite possible that
more than once it has been seem by
keen eyes when at its maximum
elongation fiom the sun without hay Ing
been recognized In IT'S true character.
Mercury is Of oil the members of the
solar system the most exceptional. 1t
is the nearest planet to the sun, re-
ceiyes the most light and heat, moves
| fastest of all the planets, and with the
exception of some of the minor planets,
| has the most eccentric orbit, with the
| greatest inclination to the eoliptic. 1t,
furthermore, is the smallest in diameter
and mass. but possesses the greatest
density OF all the planets.
| Soon after sunset and a. considerable
| time before even the lighter fixed stars
become visible the planet Venus is
seen in the southwest. She will shine
as a beautiful evening star until 8. &c
clock, presenting the appearance oil
the most brilliant object in an
especially brilliant sky. While at the
beginning of the month Venus is ID
Aquarius, she will soon be In Pisces.
Mars will be in Capricornus during the
greater portion of the month, but entei'
Aquarius toward its termination. Thi!
planet is in very unfavorable position
for observation, setting before thu
evening twilight permits stars to be
come visible, and thus acting neithei
as morning nor an evening star. Il
will not act in either capacity befor'
l - - k,s CHI ms,
morning star. Jupiter is in Scorpio
and rises yearly at 9 o'clock in tn
morning. Persons rising before sun
rise will see it up in the sky shininl
with its usual lustre Saturn is ii
Sagittarius and rises nearly half 81
hour after O'Clock. Like Jupiter, /
presents fine object in the mornipI
skies.
From an economic POINT of view th
, most important achievement Of tn
/ astronomical science is the measure
/ has given us of time, The word tim
] and the various ways Of expressing il
. like. year, day, hour, &c., are s
, familiar that the very fami liaiit
! makes us apt to forget how thes
, different measures of time were orig
nally determined and that there was
period wheI an accurate measuremer
s Of time was all but impossible. Th
D two most ancient contrivances {
t | measuring time were certain watel
s clock called clepsydra and the sundia
: the latter being yet sometimes seen o
: old clutches and other buildings. l
@ order to establish an accurate tim
, tnit we have to resort to the celestii
: objects. The second, minute and hot
j, heing subdivision Of the period Gale
ell day, 1T was necessary to determir
accur ately what the day Is Astronom
If distinguishes three kinds OF DAY II
!, sidereal, the solar and the mean soil
i day, the first of which represents Il
J. time Of the rotation Of the earth upc
q its axis, which practically we ms
]. consider invariable, as it has n
d changed SO much as the hundi edi
part of q second in 1000 years. III
solar day is, the interval between ty
II successive returns of the sun to Il
|. same meridian and it averages fo
:, minutes longer than the sideIeal da
II Expressed in mean solar time the ye
y is 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes,
II seconds, but in reckoning time for Il
10 common purposes of life it is most co
10 venient to have the year contain a &c
1
sideration which we find both in 4
Julian and Gregorian calendars. 1t
b, to be regretted that the astronomic
te and the civil day do not begin at t
Of Same hour, the latter beginning
midnight and the former u HOT
later. There is, however, probabili
IN that sooner or later astronomers W
n give up this unnecessary difference q
of conform to the common use of letti
x the day begin at midnight; nor
ny there any special necessity for dividi
he the day into two portions, foIeno
On and afternoon, From practical poi
I'LL of view IL would be better to aboli
he tho really unnecessary symbols a.
in and p. IN. and count the hours from
he to 24--a system that recently
il. French nation has adopted, people
he which the superiority in INTRODUCED
" the most practical units of meas,
an and weight must be conceded.
raj Due south Of the Sword Of Ori
OF four stars form a quadrilateral,
ill characteristic eonfguration of the O.
it Htellation of Lepus, or the Hare,
M Brightest star of which is Alpha.
he Arneb. This constellation is insitS
ny Inoonspicuoue, hut its proximity
les the magnificent constellation of Or
to brings it into greater prominen
BILE Next TO Orion the most striking o
of stellation is CAMS Major, or the Or
nts Dog, on account of its containing
,b- most brilliant Fixed star in the VII
or heavens, Sirius. which in splen
ISL vies with the brightest planets thu
the selves. Sirius. or Alpha CAMS Maio
sep lies almost in straight line with
lies three stars in the Belt OF ORR
the Though ii takes eight years for Ii