The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-05-05

lis the merry month or May when
spring puts the old pipe to her lips and
blows a note or two that is heard
throughout the northern section of this
country. At the sound little thrills pass
through the still chilled meadows. The
bushes are dotted with innumerable
specks of green that will soon set the
whole on fire. A gentle and all but inn
perceptible change has come over the
face of nature during the past month
The delights OF fragrant breezes and ex-
hilarating atmosphere which have al
ways been associated with the month OF
May will be supplemented and heighten-
ed by the charms which the armament
Will untold
All of the conspicuous stars except
Sirius of the Greater Dog and Betel-
guese and Rigel of Orion that have
been in view in the past few months
will be in the field of vision throughout
May. Capella OF the Charioteer will be
in the northwest Castor and PolIux of
the Twins in the west. Procyon of the
Lesser Dog in the southwest, Spica OF
the Virgin in the southeast, Regulus of
the Lion in the southwest, but near the
zenith; Arcturus of the Cowherd in the
east. and Vega of the Lyre in the north
east
Noting the Rise of Stars.
Spica, Arcturus, and Vega will be
found to be mounting higher and higher
above the horizon when any hour in
which they are in view is compared with
the same hour OF the preceding days,
and Capella, Castor and Pollux, Procyon,
and Regulus will be found TO be sinking.
Toward the end of the month Deneb the
principal star in the constellation of the
Swan, will be in plain view at the close
of the evening twilight below Vega in
the northeast. and about the same time
Procyon in the southwest will be so near
the horizon at the beginning of darkness
as TO lose much of the lustre and beauty
which it has shown since it made it's
advent in the evening sky of November
last
Thanks to the movement of the sun
in our direction. there is fully an hours
increase of daylight at the months close
over what is youchsafed US at present.
In this period of time, one calendar
| month. the suns northerly declination
has increased seven degrees. At the
months close, however, the rate Of
movement perceptibly slackens. until the
last day OF the month Will find il only
| one half the velocity at which 1t is now
| moving.
Phases of the Moon.
AS far as the actors in our celestial
drama are concerned, the sun, while the
power that actuates everything and
regulates the movements of all the
planetary brotherhood, plays no special
part in the months program. That is,
! there no conjunctive oppositions nor
any of the phenomena in which he is
generally taken into consideration, last
month and next month taking all OF these
honors for the second quarter OF the
year.
The phases of the moon for May began
on the 4th. with a first quartering. fol-
lowed by the full ON the 18th, and last
quartering on the 18th. The May moon
itself does not come to us until the
goth, at about o'clock in the evening.
The conjunctions between the planets
and the moon begin on the 7th with
Mars. On the 14th there will be meet
| ing with Uranus. followed on the 18th
with Saturn and Luna. coming within
about five degrees of one another.
On the 2Ist Jupiter and the moon have
the same right ascension. The planet
however. is 3 degrees so minutes to the
southwark. There will not be another
similar event until the eth when Mer-
curry receives a hasty visit. being follow
ed the next day by Neptune. the record
for the month being closed on the 18th
by Venus and the -days-old cres-
cent being as close to one another as
they are allowed to get this May.
Mars in Conjunction With Luna.
We, as a general rule. think Of our
own moon and those OF Jupiter as about
the only pebbles on the celestial beach,