The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1922-02-06
THE FEBRUARY SKIES.
Sun on Northward Journey-Brilliant
Winter Consultations at Their Best.

The long moonlight nights of winter
call attention again to one OF nature
curious compensations. I'm the months
when we are getting the least sunlight,
we receive the most moonlight. This
il true OF the southern hemisphere as
well as the northern. The fact is, OF
course, that moonlight is merely re-
nected sunlight. AT the time OF full
moon, when its light is most in evil
dence, the moon is always directly
opposite the sun as seen from the
earth. This is necessarily the case
since otherwise the face Of the moon
which is turned toward the earth
would not be completely Illuminated.
Now the moon travels around the sky
in a path which is nearly the same as
that in which the sun appears to tray-
eli. the former completing one reyolu-
tion in period averaging 1872 days,
the latter in a year. Therefore, al
the time of full moon, the moon be-
ing opposite, the sun i about where
the sun was six months earlier. Thus
the December full moon Is near the po-
sition which the sun occupies in june.
Ii therefore runs high in the sky and
remains above the horizon for more
than twelve hours, furnishing an I'M
usual amount of moonlight. The eN-
act opposite il the case with The full
moon Of June which occupies position
near that which the sun has in De-
rember. and therefore runs low and re-
mains visible for less than twelve
hours
While the path OF the moon anon
the stars is approximately the same es
that which the sun appears TO describe
they are in reality not exactly the
same. The sun in year travels frcm
4 position 70 degrees ~ minutes south
Of the equator about Dee. 81. The moon
sometimes travels as far as % degrees
st minutes north and south OF the
equator. at other times only Is de-
crees is minutes. This change from
maximum back to maximum again
takes place in u period Of about uiie-
teen wears. During the present mouth
the range Is from Is degrees north to
Is degrees Fl minutes south We ere
therefore near the period OF minimum
range.
IL does not follow, however, that
the moon when Is degrees p minutes
north of the equator will rise Is de-
grees 25 minutes north Of cast. That
would be true at the equator. but IN
this latitude Is degrees rs minutes
measured along great circle perpen-
dicular to the equator, becomes 70
degrees 5 minutes when projected down
upon the horizon, while the maxi
mum oil Is degrees 3 minutes projects
into 80 degrees 50 minutes.
The sun will pass this month from
the constellation Capricornus into Aqua
rius, continuing its northwsrd journey.
As result the day will increase by
one hour 10 minutes in our latitude.
The moon will be in first quarter on
the 4th at Has p. M, full ON the llth
at Sis y. M. in last quarter on the
18th at l:lS p. m. and new on the 2btn
at l.4s p. m. Ii win run high on the
sth and low on the Goth, crossing the
equator on the LIST, l4th and 2sth. II
will he in perigee on the 18th and ~
apoeee on the 2dth In its journey
around the zodiac il will pass the plan
cts in the following order: Neptune
ON the 18th, Saturn on the l4th, Jupi-
ter on the 18th, Mars on the 18th.
Mercury on the cath. Uranus on the
26th and Venus on the eth.
Mercury l. in Aquarius in the eve
ming sky. getting in the southwest
about an hour and half after the sun.
II win be visible tor only a few days.
however. a. IL is rapidly approaching
the sun and viii pass through inferior
conjunction on the l4th, thus clang-
ing to the morning sky.
Venus Is too close 20 the sun Tor OBJ
servation this month On the 9th this
planet viii pass through superior csn-
junction. thus changing to the evening
sky.
Mars j. in the western part Of Sour
pio. rising soon after =. ~. on ihc
I~f4 Nu tue ifAU - VIII ~ ~ NA@-
nature With the sun. BY the md o.
the month il win he up BY 1890
m. This planet j. growing rapidly
brighter ~ Il approaches the esrih.
Jupiter and Saturn are both "a Viz
20. the latter heing farther vest a.
hencc rising an hour earlier. The ;irsc
are a. foiloWss Isl. Saturn risr- 81
"a I, n, Istrifrr i0.1n Il. m 18th
saturn s.5s. Jupiter 7s32.
Tranu- a. too near the sun for ol.-sr-
ratiou fhis month. II T. in AouArirs
on the 2sth this planet uiii change Il
the morning SKY.
Neptune D. in the eastern par. 81
Canosr and rises about sunset W Pe-
.ifion Or TIE d. d ftelr a~rn-lon q
haars p ulinsfes. drlliaaiion % 81
rreTz - NJ rfss-
9hstrs-fei rsnstriistiet- e @iree
s-s nor 81 fhrir tc.f- A. > = ~ -
az D. Ut O. s4 ttn fzra. tsz