OCR Text |
Show Why The Moon's Horns Have Nothing to Do With The Weather Thero Is a firmly Ingrained superstition super-stition 'which connects tho rainfall with tho moon's cusps. Many peoplo peo-plo bollovo that on tho position of tho crescent moon changes ot the weather dopend and can bo easily forotold. Prof. A. K. Dartlctt,- tho noted astronomor, has called attention both to tho superstition and to tho phenomena. phe-nomena. Ho says that at tho tlmo of tho now moon tho cusps or horns, of tho crescent sometimes lie In a .ino which Is nearly perpendicular with tho horizon and at other times In a lino nearly parallel with tho horizon. In tho former instances tho nioon is commonly described as a wot moon, and In tho latter ns a dry moon. Owing to tho changing position of tho crescent, seen In tho western sky after sunset, such expressions ex-pressions ns "It tho moon lies so tho wator cannot run out wo will havo a draught" aro to be heard. Or "A wot moon Is one upon which tho huntor can hang his powder horn." Yet It Is n fact, which everybody who went to sshool should know, that tho crescent moon always appears ap-pears upon Its back In tho spring nnd upon Its end in tho autumn. These positions occur regularly overy year rnln or dry. A llttlo thought makes this plain oven to a boy. Tho chnngo of dlroctlon in tho moon's horns Is lauscd by tho altered alter-ed position of the moon when she Is at tho now. It has relation to tho sun and tho earth and depends upon tho difference In tho declination of tlio sun and tho moon. If tho moon Is farther north than tho sun soon after It Is now tho sunlight strikes upon her nnd sho appears with hor horns upturned. . If tho moon Is farther south, tho light reaches around hen disc to tho no.'thward and her horns aro nearly vertlcle, as If tho crescent moon rested rest-ed upon ono of them. You seo tho moon In varying positions posi-tions In tho Bky. At first sight thero appears to bo no definite relation bo-tweon bo-tweon her position and tho position of her cusps or horns. In lino, this featuro ot her aspect seems so changeful and capricious that It has bcon regarded as a weather gaugo. In reality thoro Is a simple connection connec-tion always prcsont. Tho lino which Joins thom is always at right angles or perpendicular to a Una .drawn from tho sun to tho moon, so that tho horns nro forover turnod directly away from tho sun. Tho preclso position in which thoy wljl stand nt nny tlmo Is, consequently, conse-quently, easily foretold, nnd has ns . much to do with tho weather ns mud with ml k. Tho logic In superstitions supersti-tions Is tho sanio as tho logic In pat- ent medicines nnd Ignoranco generally. gener-ally. Sailors co.isldor tho nppearanco of the now moon In November ns on unfailing un-failing sign of weather. Farmers also al-so predict a mild or sovero winter from It. If tho moon, they say, iomos "standing up" there will bo n plcacant winter. "Stand up moon, lay down farmer." v Slnco, however, tho moon Is nlways nenr tho cdeptlc, the Una which Joins tho horns is nearly always nt right angles to tho ccleptlc. Slnco this nnglo changes, so tho position ot tho 'Ino which reaches to the horizon vnrles. With regard to tho moon moro than halt full, theso changes aro not noticeable With now or crescent moon, however, It Is perfectly perfect-ly plain and attracts attention. Tho lino whlsh Joins tho horns can not bo over actually upright when tho sun is below tho horizon for a line must always bo square to the great circle which passes through tho Bun and moon. When, therefore tho moon is nbovo tho horizon and tho sun Is bolow, this great circlo Is Inclined to tho horizon and a lino por-pendlcular por-pendlcular to it is correspondingly Inclined In-clined from tho vortlc'o. Tho sanio oxplnnntion fits tho wnning crescent of tho old moon boforo Bunrlso soon after spring begins, when tho horns nro turned In tho opposlto direction. |