The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-08-05
letter. TO THE EDITOR
Astronomical Research of Interest to
Catholics.
White Bear Lake, Mimi,
.. July 81, 1911.

July 81, 1911.
Dear Father Reardon:
The last numbers of the Astrono-
mical Bulletins that have just arrived
from Paris and London contain some
notices that will be of interest to the
general reader, especially if he be a
Catholic. They are herein condensed
for "The Catholic Bulletin
1. Recently discovered papyri-old
Egyptian writing on prepared papyrus
bear reference to the old Jew
fish calendar and have been the object
of learned discussions especially be-
tween the German Professor Ginzel
and the English DR.. Fotheringham.
Naturally these discussions have been
followed with attention by all bibli-
cal scholars and I note with pleasure
in the June number of the Monthly
Notices of the Royal Astronomical So
ciety that definite light has been
thrown on the subject and we can now
admit that "the old Jewish computers
followed strict calendar rules which
aimed at making each month begin
at the sunset following mean new
moon."
2. A problem that is of equal prac-
tical Importance to both navigators
and churchmen is that of accurate
tables of the motions of the planets
and especially of the moon. At the
time of the reform of the Calendar
ordered by Pope Gregory in October,
1882, there was considerable discre-
pancy between the tables then in use
and the actual phenomena, and con-
siderable confusion followed in the
computations of feasts, etc. The great
astronomer, Kepler, who, though a
Protestant, owed to Catholic toler
ance and especially to the protection
of the Jesuits. liberty unusual in
those troubled times of religious wars,
published the tables prepared by
Tycho Brahe and which were remark
able for his day. Since then no edi-
ton of tables has been published that
gave satisfaction. It will, then, be a
e. w. Brown of Yale is progressing
very we'll in the publications of very
difficult, but most important tables of
the moon.
8. Another piece of news gratifying
to Catholics is that which acquaints
us with the important contributions of
Father Sidgreaves, the eminent Di-
rector of Stonyhurst College Observ-
atory, on the striking correlation be-
tween certain fluctuations of the mag
netic needle and solar activity, very
visibly indicated by the parallelism of
the curves representing both graphic
ally. In the past the most conspicu-
Gus names in the Solar Researches
were those of Catholics and to all ap-
pearances this will continue to be
true.
4. Finally, a question that occu-
pied the attention of both theologians
and laymen and which has been con-
siderably discussed of late is whether
or not the planet Mars is inhabitable.
Professor Lowell brought forward a
| strong argument in favor of it in his
famous geometrically traced canals.
His opinion has received serious con-
tradictions of late, especially among
American astronomers, and now Prof.
Barnard gives him another blow by
publishing photographs of the planet
showing that what appear to be
straight lines when Mars is observed
'far off, become indistinct and ungeo-
metrical in observations made under
more favorable circumstances. The
conclusion is self-evident.
Mr. r FfzoJ II G