Year: 1874

HAVE said that the sun pursues a GER
tain definite path among the stars, about
half Il degree wide, which you could see
if she left any trace; SO, also, if you
could mark the position of the moon to-
night among the stars, but you would
not find this path to be the same as the
suns path. If 1t were the same, we
should have an eclipse of the sun every
time the moon crossed the sun, and an
eclipse of the moon every time that the
moon passed on the other side of the
earth from the sun. But the two paths
are inclined to each other about five de-
grees. They cross each other ut Il point
which, in the month Of October, 1871, is
very near the sun. The moons path is
south of the suns in nearly all that part
of the heavens which we can see in the
evenings of that month; but it approach
cs the suns path and crosses it near the
eastern horizon, and in most Of the invis.
ible half of the sphere, or that part he
low the horizon, the moons path is far
thcr north.


These two opposite points in which the
moons path crosses the path of the sun
are called the nodes. IT is very clear
that unless The sun is near one of the
moons nodes, when the moon herself
passes by, the moon will pass above or
below the sun, according rs her path IS
above or below that of the sun at this
point and consequently there will be no
eclipse. But if the sun happens to be
near the node then the moon will neccs-
sarily pass over his face and eclipse some
portion of him Now, as have just eX-
planned, there are two opposite nodes;
the one set few hours ago and the other
has Just risen Since the sun makes the
whole circuit Of the heavens in the course
of year, he crosses the moons nodes
twice in that time in 1874 he crossed
one node in May and will cross the other
node in November; consequently it is
only about these two times that any
eclipse can take place during this year.
If the moon always follows the same
path in the heavens, we could never have
| any eclipses but at those two seasons.
But if we watch the motions OF the moon
for several years in succession we shall
find that her path is continually chang
| ing. At the present time she passes
seven degrees north of Aldebaran; u
month hence she will seem to pass the
star at almost exactly the same distance;
| but if you continue your observations
| for four or five months you will find
| Al. Il. ,t W far rt no
north, and in three years you will find
| that she crosses it mt the distance OF
about ten degrees. After that she would
begin to cross farther south, passing
nearer Aldebaran at every revolution for
! eight years, until in 1880 and 1886 she
will pass right over it. If the moons
path were painted on the heavens you
would find that every time the moon
came round to the same point In her
path, which takes place about every
| twenty-seven days, she would cross the
suns path about three of her own diam
eters sooner than the month before. In
the course of "a year, therefore, she VIII
have crossed about thirty-six diameters
sooner, or farther to the west. In the
course of twenty years you will flnd that
this motion has been kept up until she
crosses at the same point she does now,
and thus the nodes have made a complete
| circuit of the heavens. The seasons OIL
eclpses vary, therefore, in the same
manner. This year they are in May and
October; in five years from now they
will occur three months earlier, and we
shall have them in February and August;
five wears more and they will be in Octo-


Der and May; five years more IN August
and February; five years more ana they


will correspond once more to what tney


arc now.-Prof Simon Neucomb, IN Har-


per's Mogazine far October.


An old man in New Hampshire, who


in his youth followed the trade of tail


or stuck a large needle into his leg just


above the knee twenty-five years ago.


He never experienced much trouble, but


always joked about it, saying he intended


vet to make his shroud with it. A few


weeks since it came to the surface and


was taken out entire. But as soon as the


atmosphere touched it it dropped to


pieces, and the old mans burial robe


will have to be made by machine, after
ALL


IT is stated that the Pennsylvania Rail
road Company contemplate such change


of the face Of their stock certificates as


will very materially narrow the ability to


raise the number of shares, if it should
not entirely prevent that species of fraud.
: 1t is proposed to have the denomination


in the center Of the face of the certificate,
: printed in large letters in colored INK.
7 With this guide any raised certincate
J would be detected by the receiver at =
J glance.