The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1901-1903, 1902-09-21
THE MOON AND THE WEATHER
NO DEFINITE RELATION BE.
TWEEN THEM ESTABLISHED.
The Attraction of the Moon on the
Ethereal Fluid Surrounding the Earth
is inappreciable as Factor In
Sterms-Has no Effect on Clouds.


Tho moon is the farmers most popu
lar forecaster. Many SOW and plant
according to its phases. 1t is surely
more reliable than any months-in-ad-
vance forecaster of the sphere. Its
nearness to the earth and the fact that
its phases occur in about seven days,
which is about twice the usual period
of storm recurrence, have in the
minds of the people, endowed it with
great power in influencing our wea
ther.
1t is a fact that ror several weeks
In succession rain may occur on the
same day of the week. but as such Sc
quence of rainy days only occurs once
in a long period, while the moon is
constantly progressing from one place
to another. the probability Of rela,
ton between the phenomena is eX.
tremely slight.
The fact that the effect OF the moon
in producing the tides of the ocean is
much greater than that of the sun has
caused many to think that the tide pro
duced by the moon in our atmosphere
is sufficient to exert a marked effect
in the producing of storm waves; but
when it is known that the tide pro
duced by the moon. according to La
place is equivalent to a change OF
only four thousandths of IN inch in
the barometer, it is at once apparent
that the attraction of the moon on the
heral fluid surrounding the earth is in
appreNAhble as q factor in storms.
Professor Mansfield Merriman, of
Lehigh University, in Science" De
cember, 1892, published the result OF
an investigation of the observation of
rainfall, taken at Bethlehem, Pa
during 1SS1-1S90, as affected by the
moon. in which he reached the con
clusion that the least rain occurs about
the first quarter that it rapidly in
creases to the time of the full moon
after which it slowly decreases
through the last quarter, and through
the new moon returns to the mini
mum at the first quarter.
On the contrary, Professor Hazen.
OF the Weather Bureau, calculated the
dates at Philadelphia, which is not
far from Bethlehem, for the further
determination Of the question. He
computed the data for fifteen years,
1S71-1S85, and obtained results quite
opposite to those obtained by Profess
sor Merriman in his figures, showing
that the new moon had much more rain
than the full moon, although he did
not advance his figures as proving any
influence whatever.
This matter has been quite thor
oughly Investigated in England and in
Europe, with the result that no de-
finite relation could be established.
1t is now known that "Herschels
Weather Tables" for forecasting the
weather from the hour of the day that
the moon enters upon a new phase,
which have been exclusively publish
ed in almanacs, were neither prepared
nor sanctioned by the famous astrono-
mer There is no principle or law
back of them. In fact, worse lot OF
rubbish was never thrown together.
A New Haven, Conn, research
showed that in that place there was
from 1873 to 1880 nearly half more
rain just before and just after a new
moon than at full moon. In this case
the results are opposite to those OBJ
tanned by Merriman, but a further in
vestigation for this whole country,
and also for one hundred years at
London, England, gave a negative re-
suit; that is no effect from phases of
the moon.
Many Investigators have detected
an apparent influence of the moon in
driving away clouds. OF course, If
there be such an influence the tend
ency must be toward less rainfall at
the time of the full moon, for the near
er full moon the less the clouds, and
the less the clouds, the less the rain
fall. 1t may be that these observers
have been deceived by the fact that
clear nights are more conspicuous
when illuminated by the full moon, and
are, therefore, remembered to the ex-
clusion Of other clear nights that are
lighted only by the feeble chickering's
of the stars.-Prof. Willis l.. Moore,
Chief Of the United States Weather
Bureau in the New York American
and Journal.