The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-31

watch the edge of the moon moving
steadily over the disc of a bright planet
in this way. Even when watched with
the naked eye it can be seen that the
light of the planet is only gradually cut
off. But when star is occulted il dis
appears instantly, which is one of the
most convincing proofs we have that
there is no air or vapor of any kind on
the surface of our satellite.
The full noon of September 10 is the So
called Harvest Moon. For many days
after this date the nearly full moon will
be observed to rise but slightly later on
each successive evening, and its point of
rising will move very rapidly northward
along the eastern horizon, so that by the
23d of the month it will be found very far
toward the north At this time we will
accordingly have a succession of more
than a week of moonlight nights, an ar
rangement which an earlier people did
not doubt was specially ordered to per-
init of their gathering their harvests.
The Eclipses of the Sun and Moon
Just before sunrise on the morning of
September Is the harvest full moon will
pass into the shadow of the earth and a
total eclipse of our satellite will occur. At
this time. al viewed from the eastern
states, the moon will be low in the west
and will set just the eclipse is begin
nirg. West of the Mississippi river, how
ever, the moon will not set until it has
become completely immersed in the
shadow. while In the far western por-
tions of our country the entrance into
and the emergence from the shadow will
both be visible
The center of the moon will reach the
position A, Figure 3, and the eclipse be-
gin on September IS at hours 52.5 min
utes a. m. eastern standard time); 1t
n. Al
become total at hours l minute a. M +:
it will reach the point C and begin to
emerge from the shadow at hours 49, 1
minutes, and 1t will finally reach the posi-
ton d and the eclipse will be over at 8
hours 35.2 minutes.
The succeeding full moon will move
over the disc of the sun and cause par
tial solar eclipse at about midnight on
September 90, but this eclipse will only
be visible to observers within the small
part of the earths surface shown in Fig
ure 4.
The September Planets
The bright planets Venus, Mars and
Saturn are all morning stars, though on
september 30 the last named will be lust
rising on the eastern horizon at 9 D. M.
and SO will be just entering the evening
sky AS may be seen from Figure 5, the
eastern part of the morning sky is now
iiiOot bcuutildis OClflS llitu Will SITlK1nGlY
brilliant stars. Orion, Gemini, the two
Dog Stars, the Hyades, the Uleiades and
Capella, with the three bright planets in
among these stars, form picture that
will well repay the extra effort which is
required to witness IT, Both Venus and
Mars are now moving eastward during
the month the former will move from
Gernini across Cancer into Leo while the
latter will move from Taurus into Gernini.
Mars is daily drawing nearer the earth
and coming into better position for OBJ
servation, but Venus is withdrawing to
the opposite side of the sun and there
fore growing less bright and less satis-
factory as a telescope object The rings
of Saturn are now widely opened out and
this planet is in very good position for
observation.
Jupiter. the most conspicuous object in
the evening sky, is moving very slowly
eastward In the constellation Sagittarius.
Though this planet is still well above the
ground in the early evening, its rapid
withdrawal from the evening sky has be-
gun and this is the last month of the
year during which it can be observed to
advantage
Mercury remains too near the sun
throughout the month to be Well OBJ
served.