The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-09
THE HEAVENS IN SEPTEMBER.
The Harvest Moon and the Sums
Crossing of the EquinOctiaI.
New York Times.


Crossing of the EquinoctiaI.
New York Times
The full moon which occurs nearest the
autumnal equinox is popularity termed the
harvest moon. On Sept. IS the moon will be
full. The popularity of the full moon that
comes nearest Sept. - or % is that it rises
at near the same time for several nights in
succession. a full moon always rises about
the time the sun sets, but on the evening
following the day on which the moon
reaches its full stage it rises after sunset
at periods ranging from few minutes to
more than an hour, depending on season
and latitude. Those intervals are shorter
with the September moons than with those
of the other months. The difference of
time between successive risings of the
moon after sunset, comparing September
with March, practically disappears around
the equator and increases with the dis
lance from that line, being greater here
than in New Orleans and greater in Alaska
than here.
the angle between the plane of the horizon
and that of the eclDtic, of the path
which the earth traverses in its yearly
journey around the sun, Is smaller than it
is at other times during the year. This is
why the moon OF that period seems TO rise
about the same time for several consecutive
~
crops are gathered in September, the full
moon for the month, which comes uD tor
many evenings just after sunset. leaving
only brief interval of darkness was once
deemed to be a special provision of Proyi
dence TO enable the farmers to continue
their work onward into the night without
interruption.
Twice each year-around March q and
Sept. 22-the sun is said to cross the
equinoctial," cross the line" The ear
lier date is called the vernal equinox and
the latter one the autumnal equinox. When
the sun crosses the line it is in the zenith
of all places on the equator at noon. Con-
sequently its rays reach from one pole TO
the other. On or about the above-men-
toned dates each year the sun is above
the horizon of every point of the earth.
and approximately for the same length of
time it is below the horizon. Thus the
days and night at those dates, making no
allowance for refractiOn, are about equal
in duration. On Sept. % the siX-months
day at the north pole will end and the
six-mOnths night will begin, while at the
south pole they will just be beginning TO
get their spring wardrobes in order, and
Will be discussing the most successful Of
our summer shirt waist patterns.
The September sky Will be alive with
clustering consultations that shine with
renewd luster in the crisp and pure au-
tumnal atmosphere. Among them may be
noted the great square or Pegasus rising
in the east, and low down in the northeast
is the lovely cluster of the Pleiades. The
three stars Arcturus, Vega and Capella,
known as the northern brilliants, are spe-
cially worthy of observation, for they are
all visible, and opinions differ as to which
is the brightest of the trio Early in Sep
TENDER Arcturus is the brilliant red star
near the northwestern horizon, Vega the
superb star high in the north, not far west
| of the meridian, and Capella will be fund
in the northeast Outshining her neighbors
These three stars form an irregular tri-
angle.
On Sept %, the day of the full moon
these beautiful bright diamond points will
| be in about the same position. But planets
and stars will lose their luster when, at
| the close of the month, the rounded orb
of the harvest moon looms above the east
ern horizon as the sun sinks below the
western, and seated in her silver car"
rises slowly to the zenith, putting out the
| smaller stars and flooding the earth with
| silYery light.
Three of the planets reach the position of
quadra ture in September, the first one be-
ing Uranus. which arrives there on the 9Th
and then hurries along toward conjunction
with the sun, where Ii viii be early In De-
cember. This is one of the evening stars
and is found not very far from Antares
which is the bright star of the constellation
| Of the Scorpion. The next of the brother
! hood to reach the quarter post is Neptune
and his arrival there makes him a very bad
| second to Uranus. as he does not get to the
mark until the 18th. Before this, on the 6th
| we have this planet and the lesSening ores
| cent of the moon in conjunction, and so we
| see that Neptune is a morning star, for the
! present, being the only one of his class for
| the month.
Jupiter, on the 2Sth. the day of the won
derful full moon is the third planet that
| reaches quadrature on his way 10 fight
! more closely with Venus for the supremacy
| of the evening sky. After the middle of
| November they will be at their closest.
Mercury is moving away TO the eastward
| from the sun, and is, consequently, another
| of the evening stars. but in response to the
| great attraction Of the sun he turns again
| to the westward and becomes a morning
| star some time before the great struggle
| between the two larger and more important
| planets al ove mentioned. Mercury and the
| two days old moon are in a somewhat dis
| tant conjunction OH the 14th.
Saturn sets shortly after midnight and
| will be in quadrature early in October be-
| ing the only planet for that month to reach
| that distinguished position. This is the
planet that is so close to Jupiter. The lat
| ter gets 10 his highest altitude at about
| 7:30 in the evening and Saturn gets there
| about o'clock Jupiter is a bit further
south, not quite a degree, however, and in
| the latter part Of November the two planets
/ will be almost close enough to touch one
another.
| Mars, another evening star. has the dis
! tinctiOn for the month of being occulted by
! the moon, there being but eleven minutes Of
! arc separating the two on the 10th. To our
| eyes it will look as though the planet and
/ the moon we're at hide and seek