Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-12-11
THE DECEMBER SKIES
No Reason to Expect the Predicted
Observation-Disclosures Of Solnr
Eclipse Completed

aroused by the announcement OF n tic-
mendous world catastrophe" to occur on
or about the nth of this month. THIS
prediction. attributed to professor
Porta," is based on the fact that six OF
the planets-Mercury, Mars, Venus, Jupi-
ter Saturn and Neptune-wll then be
grouped together in the morning sky.
The planet Uranus will be directly OPP
poste.
We are told that 1.-THE magnetic cur
rents between Uranus and the six planets
will pierce the sun like mighty spear
There will result. accnI'dms 20 ihiS
prediction, The hugest Sun-Spot on
record--a sun-spot that will be visible
10 the naked eye" The electromagnetic
energy given forth by this sun-spot wili
we are assured, produce on the eartn
Hurricanes, lightning, colossal rains and
floods, gigantic lava eruptions, great
earthquakes and fearful cold"
While the planetary grouping this
month is unusual. it is by no means
unprecedented. Many times in the past
similar groupings have taken place with
out any emarSable results, and there IL
no reason to expect anything out OF the
ordinary this time. Careful observation
Of sun-spots. extending over many years.
has shown that these spots attain
about eleven years The last maximum
occurred Some two years ago and solar
! activity is now on the decrease.
The best evidence available tends to
show that a sun-spot is a disturbance in
in the solar atmosphere similar to n ter
restrial tornado. It is probably produced
by an eruption of gases from within the
sun. The gaseous column moves ut first
upward, then along the surface, with a
whirlng motion as In a tornado. Many
attempts have been made to trace some
connection between these spots and oc-
currences on the earth. The only rela-
| tionship discovered SO far Is between
| sun-spots and terrestrial magnetism. 1t
| has been found that magnetic storms, &C.
complished by displays of the aurora
| borealis, are most frequent when suIi-
spots are in evidence. Thus, even IL a
| huge sun-spot should appear. nothing in
| the way of a world catastrophe would
| result. while the chances are decidedly
against the appearance of such spot at
| this time
Recent dispatches from England an
| nounce that the measurements of the
photographs taken at the total solar
eclipse of May 20, 1919, have been com
pleted. These photographs were taken
in order to ascertain whether rays of
light, passing close to the sun on their
way to the earth, from distant stars
would be DETECTED by the sun. Some
physicists had maintained that no deflec-
| ton would be shown, others claimed that
| the light rays would be DETECTED just as
much as material body moving at the
same speed, while Professor Einstein
professor of physics in the University OF
Berlin had predicted a DETECTION twice as
great as this. BY comparing a photo.
graph Of the stars near the eclipsed sur
with a photograph of the same region
taken later. without the sun. It is pos
sible to detect even "A small DETECTION
The result obtained seems to confirm the
Einsten theory, the measured DETECTION
being almost exactly that predicted by
Einstein. AS the next total solar eclipse
does not occur until September, 1922, M
further test can be made until that time
Four comets are now under observation
although none of them are bright enough
to be visible without the aid of a tele
scope. Kopff's comet is d periodical visitor
with a period of between six and sever
years. 1t was discovered in 1906, was due
again In 1918, but not seen at that time
and will be due again in 1926. At presen
it Is visible in large telescopes only.
Metcalf'S First Comet has beeI
identified as Brorsen's Comet of 147
with a seventy-two-year period. 1t Il
now in the morning sky and very faint
Metcaifs Second Comet is moving slowl!
eastward and southwark in Sagittarius
its position on the first being right ascen
sion 1sh 2om., defamation % degrees
seconds. 1t is growing fainter.
The fourth comet Of the year was dis
covered by Sasak, at Kioto, japan, oil
October %. 1t has been identified a
Finlay's Comet, with period of &C
years. 1t is now in Pisces in right as
cension 1 hour 9 minutes, declination 1
degrees seconds.
The sun begins the month over 81 soutl
of the equator and reaches its position
farthest south on the 22nd. at 4:N D. m
at which time winter begins. At thi
time. in our latitude. the day is tn
, shortest of the year, being y ST.
hours shorter than the Longest day 1
June. After the 22nd the sun wi! NOV
northward again and the days will begi
, to lengthen.
. The moon will be full on the 7th. a
. 5o4 a. M. in last quarter on the 14tf
at Loo n. m. new on the 22d, at $3.50 q
, m, and in first quarter on the 30th, a
, 1928 a. m. II will be in perigee on tn
9Th and in Apogee on the 18Th. II wi
, run high on the 18th and low on the 2ls
crossing the equator on the lst, 18th an
, 2Sth. In its journey around the zodiac
, will pass the planets in the following or
der: Neptune and Jupiter on the It'll
Saturn on the 18th, Mars on the 18th
Venus on the 18th, Mercury on the got
and Uranus on the 9th.
Mercury will be in greatest wester
: elongation on the 2lst and hence will b
v visible for a few days before and afte
: that date low in the southeast befor
: sunrise. 1t will be some degrees mort
of the bright star Antares in Scorpio an
r will rise about an hour and half befor
q the sun. On the Goth at 6:29 a. M, tn
moon will pass ! degree IS seconds sout
n of Mercury.
n Venus now rises at $50 a. m, and
the most conspicuous object in the morn
ing sky Although not as bright as
was In October. it is still brighter tina
2 any other object In the sky.
, Venus is in Virgo, being AT preser
, about A degrees north of the bright sta
: Spica On the 18th at 4:27 a M, the moo
will pass degrees south of the plane
Mars rises at los a. IN, on the frs
but by the end of the month will be u
soon after midnight. 1t is increasing
O. brightness as 1t approaches the cart
:, Like Venus. it is in Virgo, and by the er
, OF the month il will be degrees mort
:, of Spica.
Jupiter is in the western part of LIE
west of Regulus, IT is now coming I'M
more favorable position for Observable
a rising at s:H p. m, on the LIST or bero
p. m, on the 3lst