Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1913-03-15
The Heavens in March


Ncrury'- Orbit aud Rotation.
The ecccntricltt 81 MsreuftS orbit
subjects IL 10 great changes Of TEN
perature N ia nearest approhcb y
/ is within 2xis millions Of miles Of
the sun lts greatest distance rs ass
millions uf miles ThiE means that.
VI the confse % is SS.day year. Mrr-
curs receives somcthSes only four
times "a other times niae times 40
much solar radiance as the earth
J Docs Mercury rcVoltc upon IT. aNts
utin than enrr IN iis year. such
observers 49, = hi rF.fN ana Lowell
say u d.cs noi ava that consequently
the planet turns always the snme face
80 tbs sun, iuss ns the moon turns
ALWAYS the same face SO ug. Pfoba-
bis the MAJORITY uf aHtrnneucrs have
lgceepted their conclusions as cor
rect. bat othste uf, stlli Rkepticai
n they are rirnI ~ Hry Ht once be.
lCumCE. accord AMMAN siandafds,
Ian unlnhabitab.s- ,danri
| For the succvssioa VI day and night
upUn planet results from is indie
pendent Bxlsl rotation aud. under tho
conditions described 10 srhigpnrelli,
Mercury would have uu days only
years And 80 long ns these years
continue. one side of the planet must
be exposed continuously 80 the
scorching sun. while the other must
DC plunged into pn endless night,
with Venus and tho earth as its
brightest lumlnarics. q - true that,
owing 10 the great cccontridiy of
Mercury orbit aud the resulting IL
hration ol the planet. there would bc
two zones, stretching from pIic to
pole between the rcgious % perpetual
day ana night. where tie sun would
rise ana set once in each Morcurlal
year Each OF these zones would DO
about goo mites hruud AT tho
equator aud would follow thr lines
/ u longitude 20 their conveyance az
the pole. ana cuch would include
lNh0ut on"-clghth OF The planets sur-
| face. But for ihrec-ctghtits the night
would never pass ana on thr remain
Ing thrce.cighths ihc the san would
never set. onis dscillotc east ana west
% the zenith through au are uf -
degrees once in cycrs 50 du3s
Oceans Bottled. Then Frozen.
| n would bo hard 20 trace the cH-
matte effect of such on arrangement
III is concciyebio that water might
exist ln SEE liuuid state in The zpnca
OF libratipn. but only tor short time
at any one point Vnd that only ~
sunrise and sinsct. Il ocenns over
existed on Mercury They must long
iugo have been boiled away and now
exist ns q sen If lrc covering thc dark
side ~ the planet from pole 10 pOly.
/ Mercury has diameter of about
! 3.OOo miles its surfac, D. about one
4 a
lumc ono.clghtconth IT, mass and
.RruN3y are uncertain Probably 81
( eoO-pound man transported 20 Mcr-
iCurr would weigh not more THAN 90
pounds
I because It u.s. r,drnc-s 10 th" sun
! MvrCur3. sccn through 81 telescope,
presents the nppepTuHso OF ltilc
moon. fluniug through eli the phases
from fan 10 ucW an' back again The
/ pcsscysor ct 90 thT,c.iuch telescope
lshould bc able 20 see ~ aa crescent
on the evenings ~ tho 10Th aud litL
iTheoroticdih IL should present "a
half disc az RS greatest 'lUprulion,
! but tor sonc reason, probably weak
| illumination along the torminutvr. il
assuniCs tho 'rcs cont form.
Ncw STAR Ia the last
Routes CThr iiuutsmuul nnd Virgb
/ Cfho Virgin are chief among the
new considerations ia ihc onsictn ivld
this month Spicu ihr principal star
in virgo. rises e. Hiilc 40 tho south
ioi the tast point % mikes it. az.
I pcaraocc ni about o J'glork 80 ihp
beginning 0f March aud hy 'h' end
/ OF the month ls woli above the hort
ron. u isa pure whit. star % rather
less than the Hrst moenlludr nn3 ~
Ia fayoric With mariners ior deter
thinning longitude
| ArotuTus principal star in noot,s.
iaUordr nu, color contrast witu
| Spica. o. has pronounced ruddv
hue. yellow with tngc ot red.
Among stars visible iu thcs. ultldts
slriuH alone surely Hurpass"s 30 iu
! brightness. tapeiiI, in AuWgu, and
/ Vega m Tho Ltrc 0uow below th"
horizon, arc its uult rtula uoIjh ot
The celestial equator liut Arriufus
lls Gar mighilvr sun than either ui
ihc others. one ct toe s,nuf,sl iu tir
universe, Moreover, 10 H ono cd the
lswiftom moving of th. nrod s,gr.. so.
lcaliUd iis spvrd BE- between goo and
500 miles second Yot % Nl zee
| quirc goo yoafs tu change rs post
/ ton in the hruVcuH h1 90 Jingle moon
| breadth. so far docs % iiD 100 ,ir
depihs uf space
Arctutus is READILY found hN fp.
lowing out tho curve uf thc handle
los The 1853 Dpppr for 80 or 800 do.
efccs There Ia no oihrr very bright
star Boo 90 lmmodiat, nw-hhorh,ud.
CHARLES SAtiNEN
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Sew Pictures paHiWs lnd lIs o.
ltul.