Omaha daily bee., 1908-12-13
REFLECTIONS ON MooNSHINE
Weather Prophecies Based on Luna's
Varying shape as Idle
as Dreams.

tN1 1870 1E1NA ~
appearance depend changes in the weather
which may be foretold with accuracy, but
no belief is more absurd or unfounded and
admits of a more easy scientific explana-
ton. At the time OF new" moon the
cusps or "horns'' Of the crescent some
times lie in a line which is nearly perpen-
dicular with the horizon and at other times
In a line nearly parallel with the horizon.
In the former case the moon is commonly
described as a wet moon. and In the lat
ter case as a dry moon, and owing to
the changing position OF the crescent seen
on the western sky after sunset, such ex-
pressions as these are frequently heard:
III the moon lies so water cannot run out.
we shall have a drouth;' a wet moon Is
one upon which the Indian can hang his
powder horn" etc. Now, it is a fact
not generally known that the crescent
moon always appears upon its back in
spring near the vernal equinox, and upon
It's end in autumn, near the autumnal
equinox, and these positions, which occur
regularly each year, may be easily under
stood by a little consideration after the
conditions nave once been carefully ex-
planned.
The change of direction in which the
moons horns are turned Is caused by the
varying position of the moon, when at
it's new" relatively to the sun and the
earth and depends upon the difference in
declination Of the sun and moon. If the
moon be farther north than the sun soon
after the new" the sunlight strikes under
it and it appears with its horns up
turned; but If Il be farther south the light
reaches around its disk to the northward
and the horns appear nearly vertical as
20 The ,raorapf NOM NJ WASTING Y1noo nna
of them. We see the moon in varying
positions on the sky, and at first sight
there appears to be no definite relation.
between its position and the position Of it's
cusps, or horns" In fact, the feature of
its aspect has seemed so changeful and
capricious that it has ever been regarded
as a weather token. But in reality there is
a simple relation, always fulfilled by the
moons horns, or points of the crescent,
the line joining them is always at right
angles, or perpendicular to a line drawn
from the sun to the moon, so that the
horns are always turned directly away
from the sun. The exact position in which
they will stand at any time is, therefore,
-asily predicted, and has nothing whatever
to do with the weather.
The appearance of the new moon in No
vember is regarded as an unfailing weather
sign by the sailors, especially on the great
lakes, and they are in the. habit Of using
1t as an argument for a mild or cold win
ter. The tradition of the lakes, which is
a stronger law than any enacted by the
United States weather bureau, says that
II the moon comes at this time standing
up there will be a pleasant winter. The
Evolutionary old apothegm runs like this:
stand up moon, lay down sailor; lay
down moon, stand up sailor This some
what indignantly expressed law means
more than a city ordinance full of "be it
enacted phrases, and, plainly translated,
the old marine phrase means that when
the moon appears in the west standing
up" the sailor can sleep in his bunk with
comfort while his boat glides over a placid
lake; but If the moon lays down." or upon
its back, with its horns turned upward,
the sailor will not only have to stand up,
but keep on a continuous jump about the
deck, guiding his boat through the rough
and disagreeable weather.
AS the moon is always near the ecliptic,
the line joining the cusps is always nearly
at right angles to the ecliptic; and 1t fol-
lows, of course. that as the angle at which
the ecliptic is inclined to the horizon Is va
riable, so the position of the line joining
the cuBpS Also VARIES WANh ASoPSSN W Wv
horizon. AS respects the gibbous moon,
or moon more than half full, these varia-
lions are not much noticed, but in the case
of the new or crescent moon, generally
observed quite near the horizon, they are
very noteworthy and can hardly fail to
attract attention.
1t will be obvious, from the extreme cases
we have described, that the line joining
the cusps may have every possible inclina-
ton to the horizon, from being nearly YER
teal to a hol izontal position, and even that
the northern cusp. may be below the south
EN-, according to the season of the year
and the moons position in her orbit, so
that" as the late Prof. Proctor well re-
marked, to assert that there will be such
and such weather when the line joining
the cusps is seen Qor i~nstance) nearly ho.i-
zontaI, the moon being new, is the same as
asserting that there must be such and such
weather at the time of the new moon in
February and March. II the moon Is then
nearly at her maximum distance from the
ecIiptic."
The. tradition that the crescent of the
new" moon, when nearly horizontal, fore
tells a dry month"; or when nearly verti-
cal a wet month"; Is too absurd to be re-
futed, as it is without any foundation what
ever. Like. most other so-called signs,
those who accept them do so from coinci-
dences observed. Cases which prove the
'signs' are noted, but those which do not
are neglected, and we are convinced only
because we wish to be convinced. The
nearly horizontal crescent always happens
whenever the plane of the moons orbit is
in such a position as to carry the moon
past her conjunction above the sun, and
the vertical crescent in the opposite case,
The changes from one to another are slow
and gradual, and there can be nothing in
either to affect temperature or moisture
that is, to cause or prevent rain.
A gentleman residing in the northern part
Of Michigan, who is interested in astron-
omy, referring to the moon and the weather
and requesting an explanation of the wet
and dry moon. in a letter inquiries: IF
may hope for a reply. perhaps you will also
inform me why the new moon at times
represents the appearance OF having hel
horns upturned and at others as though
resting upon one of them, thus making
what is called the wet or dry moon. This
is the only moon sign that has ever seemed
to me at all to be depended upon, but /
there is nothing in 1t / should like 1t kicked
away" A number of similar inqui les havl
hoa, addraeaad both verbally and bV LET