Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1901-09-02
SEPTEMBER SKIES.
PLANETS AND THEIR POSITIONS
During The Ninth Month Of The Year
The Sun And It's Variable Rate Of
Motion-When The Planet Mercury Is
Nnnrort L. Hrnntnr4 Elnnrn4inr


Nearest Its Greatest Elongation.
The phases OF the moon in course of
the month Of September will be as fol-
lows Last quarter on the S,h. new on
the I2th, first quarter on the 2oth and
full on the 27th. She will be in perigee
on the Ist and 2oth and in apogee on the
18TH. While on the Ist ot the month the
sun is still 50 ~ 7 north OF the equator
it will reach the latter AT I.Io p. m. on
the 25rd, at which precise moment the
autumnal season begins.
On the last day OF September the sun
will be - 81 AZ south OF the equator,
passing in course OF the month over an
arc of rather more than 10 IS. That
the sun in its apparent motion IN declina-
ton varies in rate is a matter that seems
peTplexing to not few, though the rea-
son is quite evident. In the first place,
the ecnptic, and therefore the apparent
path OF the sun north and south OF the
equator, is an eclipse and not a circle;
and in the second place. even if this path
were circle, 1t inteTsects the equator at
an oblique angle, and consequently equal
intervals on this circle would not cut off
equal intervals on either the equator,
or a meridian.
While at the equator the eclip,ic inter
<sects the equator at an angle OF about
23o ~. called the obliquitY of the eclip-
tic, it cuts circle parallel to the equator
halfway between the equator and either
solstice at an angle OF 200 IL, and at the
solstice this angle vanishes and conse-
quently for a brief time the sun actually
moves parallel to the equator. The con-
sequence is that near the equinoxes The
suns motion in declination is very rapid,
and near the solstice very slow. AT the
solstices themselves the sun appears to
stand still, for which reason these points,
marking the northern and southern limits
of the suns motion, have received this
name of solstice, being derived from a
Latin word meaning 1.-THE suns standing
still. The planet Mercury is in Leo
during the greater portion of the month,
but will, ne ar its termination, enter Virgo.
Although it is an indsputable fact that
this planet, on account of its proximity TO
the sun, is but seldom seen with the un-
aided eye, it can be thus seen when it is
near its greatest elongation. OF course,
it will not be up any longer after the dis
appearance OF the twilight. but in that
position it is bright enough to be seen.
possessing then the brightness of first
magnitude star. Persons pretending
never to have seen Mercury may have
seen it after all under these favorable
circumstances. but probobly have taken
it for Venus. In northern latitudes it is
more difficult to observe Mercury than
IN the southern. The famous Copernicus
is said never to have seen it. During
the greater portion of the month Venus
will be in Virgo-being at the middle of
the month near Spica. Toward the end
of the month it will in Libra. 1t sets
soon after halt-past seven.
Mars also is at first in Virgo, not far
from Spica, but will soon enter Libra,
and sets little later than Venus. The
position of the two great planets Jupiter
and Saturn is but little changed since last
month. Both are still in Sagittarius.
While Jupiter sets at first near midnight,
it will set toward the end OF the month
about half-past ten, and Saturn but
few minutes later