The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1902-10-03
HEAVENLY PHENOMENON
An Explanation of the Peculi-
arity of the Harvest and
Hunters Moon.

One of the most interesting
phenomenOns Of the autumnal
heavens IL the harvest moon
which occurred in this latitude
on September 18th and for several
nights thereafter appeared to rise
about the same hour shortly after
sunset, shedding its lustrous radi.
ance over our beautiful landscape.
AS this same thing happens each
year about the same time, it is
strange that so few really under
stand the cause Of this remarkable
occurrence or can tell just when
the harvest moon is at hand.
There is an equal misunderstood.
ing about the hunters moon and
by many the two are often con.
fused.
The simplest way to understand
about the harvest moon is 10 re.
member that it is the full moon
that occurs nearest to the autumn
nal equinox September 22J and
also that the hunters moon il the
full moon which comes one month
later. This year the hunters
moon falls on Friday, October H.
For four or five nights these
two moons rise in the east almost
at the moment when the sun dis
appears in the west. There is but
a slight difference in the time Of
appearance from one night 70 an.
other. In this latitude the differ.
ence is only about 20 minutes,
whilst during the rest Of the year
he time is twice aud az much as
three times as long,
This is caused by the obliquity
Of the ecliptic or the moons path
through the heavens.
Imagine a straight line 70 rep.
resent the horizon, then draw a
line at an angle Of 1872 through it.
Where it intersects the horizon
draw a small circle to represent
the full moon on September 18th,
last. This line represents the
moons path and at spaces Of say
half an inch below the straight
line or horizon draw small circles
to represent the moons posi- ion
for four nights afterwards, mark
ing them respectively !, 2, 3 and
4. 1t will be seen that the earth,
represented by the horizon, has
only to move dOwnwarda. which
represents its own motion. a
slight distance, about fifteen Or
twenty minutes Of time, 10 bring
the moon TO the horizon again,
and this Is repeated every night
for four nights and then the time
Increases in proportion 10 the
change in the obliquity Of the
ecliptic, which become greater
and greater until the opposite
time Of the year, in the Spring,
when it j. at is greatest angle,
Or say about 10 Of arc.
The hunters moon il about the
same a. the harvest moon oulg
the time Of appearance each night
is a little longer.
now draw the same horizon
line and through i; 4 line a. 70
Of arc, representing the moon 4
path in the Spring or six months
later. Draw a!.o tue small cir.
cles the same distance apart 81
this line or eclipric and then
notice the difference 10 the d.
tauce the earth ia. 70 travel. 0i
cOurse from west ~ east Or down
ward On the diagrams In order
70 bring the moon 10 ehe horizon
tie second, third aud fourth
niZh- aad - Oh. l. i. al due =
the greater angle u he eciiptiC
zith respect 70 ne LOFizon.
Anyone can draT there go
diagrams and fully understand
the peculiaritv If tGe harvest snd
hunters noon. Remember tha'
tie noon has 4 motion u IL Or
around TIE sgn TL.cl il aee0ra
Dlzhed il y daFs md nat sae
eaFth reTolres u - own al
once II y 1oCFs.