The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1909-06-18

Popular superstition dies hard. No
one who expends any thought on the
matter can possibly connect rainfall
with the direction of the moons
cusps; yet many persons still believe
that on the position OF the lunar cres-
cent depend changes in the weather
which may be foretold with accuracy.
The reasons for the alteration in the
appearance of the new moon, at diff
ferent times, together with some in
>teresting variants of the supersti-
ton, are given by Arthur X. Bart
lett in an article contributed to Pop
ular Astronomy Mortified, Mimi /
He writes:
"At the time of new moon, the
cusps or horns of the crescent some-
times lie in a line which is nearly
perpendicular with the horizon, and
at other times in line nearly paral-
lei with the horizon. In the former
case the moon is commonly described
as wet moon, and in the latter case
as a dry moon, and owing to the
changing position of the crescent
seen on the western sky after sunset,
such expressions as these are FREE
Quently heard: If the moon lies SO
water cannot run out, we shall have a
drought A wet moon is one upon
which the Indian can hang his pow
der-horn,' etc. Now, it is fact not
generally known that the crescent
moon always appears upon its back
in spring, near the yernal equinox,
and upon its end in autumn, near
the autumnal equinox, and these
positions, which occur regularly each
year, may be easily understood by a
little consideration after the condi-
lions have been once 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 her new relative
ly to the sun and the earth, and de-
ponds upon the difference in declina-
ton of the sun and moon. If the
moon be further north than the sun
soon after the new the sunlight
strikes under her and she appears
with her horns upturned; but If she
be further south the light reaches
around her disk to the northward,
and her horns appear nearly verti-
cal, as if the crescent moon was rest
ing upon one of them. We see the
moon in varying positions on the
sky, and at first sight there appears
to be no definite relation between her
position and the position of her cusps
or horns In fact, this feature of
her aspect has seemed so changeful
and capricious that it has. ever been
Regarded as weather token. But in
reality there is a simple relation al
ways fulfilled by the moons horns or
points of the crescent. The line join
ing them is always at right angles
or perpendicular to line drawn from
the sun to the moon, so that the
horns are always turned directly
away from the sun. The exact po-
sition in which they will stand at any
time is, therefore, easily predictable,
and has nothing whatever to 90 with
the weather"
Mr.. Bartlett tells US that the APP
pearance of the NEW moon" in No
vember is regarded as an unfailing
weather sign By sailors, especially on
the Great Lakes, who are in the habit
of predicting from it mild or cold
winter. The tradition of the lakes
says that If the moon comes at this
time standing up" there will be a
pleasant winter "Stand-up moon,
lay dvwn sailor; lay-down moon,
stand up sailor the proverb
with these folk. We read further: