The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1904-05-19
DATA FOR MAY
Furnished by the Ohio State Uni
versity.

The local mean times of sunrise and
sunset
May |, sun rises 500, sun sets 6:55.
May 8, sun rises Asp, sun sets 1902.
May Is, sun rises 4;45, sun sets 7:0S.
May %, sun rises 4:39, sun sets T:l4
May 20, sun rises ABA, sun sets 7:20.
MOONS PHASES.
Last Quarter, May I, 6 o'clock a. m
New Moon, May 10, 8 o'clock a. IN.
First Quarter, May %, 5 o'clock a.
m.
Full Moon, May 20, 3 o'clock a. IN.
CURRENT PLANETARY PHENOMENA
The moon will be in conjunction
with Uranus on the 3rd, with Saturn
on the '7th, with Jupiter on the 18th,
with Venus on the 18th, with Mercury
on the l4th, with Mars on the 18th,
and with Neptune on the 18th.
Mercury comes into conjunction
with the sun on the 18th and Mars on
the Goth. The other bright planets
are also close to the sun, Saturn be-
ing visible as morning star.
The first comet of the year was dis
covered on April l6, by Brooks, of
Geneva, N. Y. When such discoy-
cry is made, astronomers are at once
notified and observations are made as
long as the object can be seen or pho
tographed. This comet had been pho
tographed at Harvard on six plates,
before its discovery by Brooks, one
plate being taken as early as March
18th.
An approximate orbit has already
been computed April 22l, but this will
later be carefully recomputed so as
to fit all observations made. Comets
paths are usually parabOlic, that is,
they seem to move in paths that will
never lead them back to the. same
point. Their velocity Is also such as
would take them ever further from
our system. Besides these charac-
teristics of path and velocity, it is
noticed that they move in orbits that
are inclined at all degrees to the
plane near which all the planets
move. These facts make it certain
that they come from enormous dis
tances. 1t Is supposed that most of
them never return, but continue their
course until interrupted by some
other star.
OF 400 computed orbits about IS are,
however, eclipses. As many as twen-
ty of these comets have been seen on
their return visits; others are ex-
pected soon, but many have very long
periods These comets have probably
been captured" ~ our system, about
thirty of them being SO evidently in
fuenced by Jupiter that they are
known as Jupiter's family of comets.
Their physical constitution is in
many ways mysterious. The spectre
scope shows in nearly all the same
bands that are due to hydro-carbon
gas. Their light IL in some way slim
ulated by the sun, increasing as they
approach it, though but part is re-
fiected from the sun. The tail seems
to consist of particles repelied by the
head (nucleus) of the comet and also
by the sun, SO that 1t Is always turned
from the sun. We know that they
are very light, for even the largest
exercise no appreciable influence on
the planets, though sensibly attract
ed by them and they are now regard
ed as clouds of small mete0ric parti-
cles continually emitting a gas--a
view that is strengthened by the fact
that meteor swarms and comets often
have Identical paths.
Four or Ave are discovered on an
average each year. We see only those
that come comparatively near the
earth's orbit. II Is estimated that
several thousand come within Jupi-
ter's orbit each year.
Visitors are received at The Emer-
son-McMillan Observatory of the Ohio
State. University on the first and
third Wednesdays of the month, dur.
Ing the college year, If the night 10
clear.