834 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



time the character and changes of the weather, and aid, rather, by- 

 careful and honest tabulation of meteorological phenomena, in advanc- 

 ing a science whose foundations have already been laid by men of 

 genius, and which in conjunction with the telegraph is furnishing its 

 timely aid to agriculture and navigation. By means of advanced, 

 systematic research into the laws governing the movements of storms, 

 wind, and air-currents, it enables voyages to be made under increased 

 security and rapidity furnishing information of incalculable value to 

 the navigator. 



From the above review of the astrological belief in destiny and 

 weather, let us again revert to our original question : What signifi- 

 cance, then, do the present astronomical rules in the calendar possess, 

 and what is the problem therewith associated in popular astronomical 

 instruction ? The reckoning of time has almost wholly emancipated 

 itself from astronomical observations. If we simply continue to 

 reckon the days according to our present arrangement of the year, 

 calling each fourth year a leap-year of 366 days, and assign to each 

 hundredth year 365 days although it ought to be a leap-year, accord- 

 ing to the four-year cycle and again to each four hundredth year 

 366 days, we shall be certain to remain for thousands of years in such 

 agreement with the sun that we do not need to concern ourselves in 

 the least in the times of his revolution and positions in the heavens. 

 In fact, the calendar is so perfectly arranged and independent in itself 

 that it requires no special assistance from astronomers. The state- 

 ments regarding the position of the moon in the zodiac and the 

 situations of the planets, and even the exact times of the moon's 

 changes (if we except the significance of these latter respecting the 

 ebb and flow of the tide), no longer possess any value in daily life if 

 ^ve are free from astrological superstition. 



Still, there is a persistent clinging to these ideas, and when, some 

 years ago, the Berlin " Astronomical Year-Book " pointed out the in- 

 significance of the moon's influence on the weather, many protests 

 were received from almanac publishers, especially in Poland and Hun- 

 gary. 



Although, as above stated, the popular calendar has become less 

 and less dependent upon astronomy, yet there is evinced an increased 

 interest among people in the yearly astronomical communications. 

 The dependence of ideas and arrangements on the heavenly phenomena 

 is less, but the desire for an understanding and observation of them 

 is much greater. The prediction of eclipses in the almanac might 

 also be omitted but for the probable danger which would arise from 

 sudden frightening of the people ; they can not, however, be well 

 omitted, since every one is desirous of observing at the appointed 

 time the more or less remarkable effects of the phenomena, and of 

 bearing a share in testing the accuracy of the times of prediction. 



Moreover, life is constantly demanding greater precision, especially 



