The Washington times., 1902-09-07
Positions of the Sun,
Moon, and Other Plan
cts During Month
SOLAR SYSTEM is STABLE
Appearance of the Skies Indicate the
Waning of Summer and the Ap-
proach of the Autumnal Season Amid
the Radiant Orbs.


In course of the month of September
the phases of the moon will be as fol-
lows: New on the I'd, first quarter on
the 9Th, full on the 18th and last quar-
ter on the oath. On the 10th she will be
in apogee and on the 23d in perigee
The sun will be degrees 32 minutes
and u seconds north of the equator on
the LIST of the month, will reach the
latter at Z O'clock P. NJ on the 23d, and
at the end, of the month be 2 degrees
55 minutes and 20 seconds south of the
equator, thus traversing during the
month large arc of rather more than
IL degrees. At the time of the autum-
nal equinox the rising and setting
points of the sun along the horizon will
have shifted over an arc of nearly 81
degrees since the summer solstice.
This shifting of the rising and setting
points of the sun is due to the fact
that the apparent path of the sun in
its annual motion cuts the equator at
an oblique angle, icalled the obliquity of
the eclictic.
This obliqrity undergoes slight
change. 1t is at present 2i minutes less
than it was 2,0o0 years ago. and it will
keep on decreasing for about $1,000
years, reducing the obliquity to a little
more than 22 degrees, when it will be-
gin again to increase. According to the
famous astronomer, John Herschel, the
and 20 minutes on each side of the mean.
If there were no obliquity there would
be no variety of seasons--that is, each
place on the surface of the earth would
have the climate it enjoys at the begin
ming of the vernal or autumnal season.
and the habitable part of the earth
would be confined to the tropical zone
and portion of the temperate zones.
1t can easily be imagined what the con-
sequences would be if the obliquity of
the ecliptic were considerably larger
than it actually is.
If anyone conversant with such mat
ters were to propose to himself to
solve the problem, What must be the
obliquity which would produce the
greatest possible benefits for the inhab-
itants of the earth? he would arrive at
the result that it must be what it ac-
tually is. In nature and her works We
can ever observe the ''juste milieu''
Planets in Their Turn.
The planet Mercury is at first in Leo,
but will soon be in Virgo, within the
boundaries of which it will remain dur
ing the remainder of the month. On
the Goth Mercury will be in close con-
junction with the bright star Spiea, in
the constellation Virgo. At o'clock in
the afternoon of that day it will be only
13 minutes distant from that star, so
that for an observer both planet and
star would appear almost as one OBJ
ject.
Since at that time Mercury is near
its maximum eastern elongation and
consequently almost as remote from the
earth as it is possible for him to be,
there is a chance of catching a glimpse
of this planet, especially If the observer
is provided with a telescope. On the
night of the goth ii will settle a little
before o'clock, sufficient time after
sunset to enable an observer to catch
glimpse of this coy planet before it
sun renders ii a difficult task to see it.
as it never rises or sets but in the
twilight. 1t is said of the famous CO.
pernicus that he had never seen it.
Under favorable circumstances, how
ever-that is, when it is near its great
est elongation, it is less difficult to see
1t low down in the twilight, and then
II is visible as star of the first magni-
tude. 1t is usually visible for about a
fortnight at each elongation and is best
seen in the evening at such eastern
elongations rs occur in March and April.
Venus will be in Cancer throughout the
month. Since she rises between 4 and
o'clock in the morning, an early riser
may see ii low down in the east as the
most brilliant object in the morning sky.
Mars is in Cancer and rises about 2
o'clock in the morning and consequent
ly. like his sister planet, acts as a morn
ing star. Though in luster Mars cannot
compare with Venus, he shines with the
brilliance of a first-magnitude star and
can. besides, be easily distinguished by
his fiery red color. Jupiter is still In
Capricornus, rising a little after 4
O'Clock in the afternoon and eliminating
at about Q o'clock. Among the starry
objects it is the most brilliant and can
not fail to arrest the observers atten-
ton. Saturn is in Sagittarius and will
be on the meridian about O'Clock In
the evening.
Amid the Radiant 0rbs.
It would be very natural and seem
Ingly not illogical conclusion to suppose
lrom the various disturbances, which
The various members of the solar sys-
tenn cannot but exert upon one another.
that the stability of the system would |
rradually be endangered, the final result |
of which would be a chaos such as the |
.ucients conceived to have once pre-
rallied.
Some of the acutest mathematical ge-
muses. the world has ever seen, notably |
of whom it may be safely said |
hat he would have established the |
yreat law of grayitation had not New !