Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-11-07
skis IN NOVEMBER.


inuOn Will pass through ner phases as
follows: Last quarter on the Sd, new A
ON the 18th, first quarter on the 10th \
and full on the 25ths- On the llth she h
will he In apoges, and on the 18th In \
perigee. At the beginning OF the month 4
ths sun Is nearly IA degrees Is minutes
south OF the equatoftsnd on the last 81 4
degrees 30 minutes; that is, within | 4
degree So minutes from its eouthern
limit ~ - ~ 5'r
Tho planet Mercury will be in Libra
during the entire month. Before the
last glimmering Of the evening twilight
has vanished from the sky an object
will be seen down 10 the southwest,
WHICH will at once be recognized as the
planet Venus by tho brillianoy OF its
appearance. At fret this beautiful
planet will hover for short time ON
the boundary limo that separates the
considerations Scorpio and Sagittarius,
and she will linRer In the Bttsr CON
stellation for the remainder of the
month, Ii Is an interesting coincidence
that the four brightest of the whole
family of planets will be 10 the same
constellation, Sagittarius, during the
month OF November. Venus will set
about 7.45, Mnra one hnur and Jupiter
noInOre than five minutes before Venus,
and Saturn about quarter OF an hour
before Jupiter. The four planets will
lie almost in a line within an arc of
not more thnn Is degrees Ii at the
time OF the frat appearance OF the stars
in the evening Mars, Jupiter and
Saturn were not so close to the hori-
2on, their propinquity would present
splendid appearance, that at once would
engage tho attention of even those who
are not wont TO contemplate the beauty
OF the starry regions. As To the planets,
it is worthy OF note that they gave rise
to the week OF seven days division
| Of time confined to oil those peoples
who had recognized the 'seven planets''
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter,
| Saturn, the Sun, and the Moon. 40
curding to the ptolemaio system the
earth was the central body. and the
sun occupied only the subordinate
position 81 a planet. Sunday was the
day of the Sun. Monday that OF the
Moon, Tuesday Of Mars, Wednesday OF
Mercury Thursday OF Jupiter, Friday
1f Vunus and Saturday OF Saturn. =, The
Inoas Of Peru never detected more than
one planet, Venus, and their week had
nine days, which is about one third Ut
the period of the moons revolution
about the earth, while the Aztecs of
MeAico, vino also knew hut one planet,
Venus, had week of 13 days for
reasons we do not know.
On the 10th of November an annu ar
eclipse of the sun will occur, which,
however, will not be visible ir our
latitude. The annulus will start at
the centre of the Mediterranean Sea,
move in southeasterly direction
through Arabia and the Indian Ocean,
out through Cey lon, the Malay PENN
sula and siam, and terminate at the
eastern coast of Luzon in the Philip
pine Islands.
In our November article a year ago
We mentioned that on the 18th OF that
month the nieteorio shower of The
Leonides might be expected. As a
matter of fact, a great shower lof this
meteoric swarm took place In 1883, and
again 10 1866, and consequently it was
reasonable to suppose that another
would occur in 1899. Though the
number of shooting starr was greater
at that time OF the month that year, il
did not come up TO the expectations OF
the people, nor were the predictions OF
an extraordinary shower fulfilled in
1900. There Is, OF course, possibility
that the expected swarm met with some
|
its appearance, ard for this reason we
mention with some diffidence, that the
expected shower may make its appear.
ance on the 18th OF November this year.
At any rate. we recommend to all per.
sons Interested 10 such matters 10 keet
more careful watch In the night OIL
that time. 1-' ~
The unraveling of the mysteries Of
this boundless universe, OF which oui
earth forms, it is true, very minute
but to us an overseemingly important
| part must doubtless be considered tint
grandest problem that ever presented
itself to the human mind, and rs the
law of gravitation solves the enigma
of the structure OF the universe, there II
no other problem OF equal interest ano
Importance that can ever occupy tht
attention of the student of nature "A |
celestial phenomena are determined
by it. OF the immortal work in which
Newton first placed this grand law on 3
solid mathematical basis, the great
French mathematician, I.aplace-- who
of those who have applied the highest
power of this human mind to the in
! vestigation of the phenomena of gravi
t tation. stands second only because New
ton lived before him = utters these
, ! mBTnOrhDl6 WOTu5. Il ub university uu1
i generality of the discoveries it con
. tans, the number of profound ant
{ original views respecting the system o
the universe it presents, and all pre-
r scented with so much elegance, vii in
sure to it a lasting prominence over al
the productions oil the human mind. ,
This was said by tho author OF til,
: Mecanique Ce 'leste. " and the "Calon
! Analytique des Probahilitiea'' the Nv,
Q profoundest and ahstrused treaties tina
/ have ever been written by man. With
!. out this most fundamental OF all laws 0
nature tine cause of the motion Of th
celestial bodies would be an inpenetra
8 BILE mystery to ue. by means of th
|, splendid achievements of our noble tele
{ opes and the application OF the rela
lively new science OF speotroscopy it ha
incontrovertibly been demonstrated tina
not alone the earth, it's moon and tn
!. rlauets move through space, but nu
g glorious sun itse.f and the innumeiab!
Q host Of stars. The name of liked stars
8 has proven a misnomer, for there i
8 nothing fixed in the universe. witt
perhaps the exception OF that purel
!, ideal point, the centre of gravity of tn
e universe, Taking the practical mini
It tude OF the universe into account, tina
g point Will never be determined, despit
/. the potency of mathematical an
e alysis ] he law Of gravitRtion obtain
n throughout creation and many Lhe
q nomena that could not hut he an i'm
o penetrable mystery to al that live
i. anterior to its establishment are eS
% planned by it with convincing SOUND
|