28 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



wholly invisible. As the moon is far 

 below the earth's equator on June 26, 

 the area ab, which the cylinder cuts 

 from the earth is a very elongated one. 

 If it is remembered that not only is the 

 moon in motion but that the earth is 

 also turning' rapidly, it is evident that a 

 quite long computation must be made 

 to determine the exact instant when 

 any point of the earth will enter or 

 leave the shaded area. 



The best plan in observing the occu- 

 lation will be for the observer to notice 

 the relative positions of the moon and 

 the star several times during the even- 

 ing. He will notice that the former 

 is moving steadily eastward an amount 

 equal to its own diameter in each hour, 

 and when it has approached the star 

 quite closely the uninterrupted watch- 

 ing can begin. The bodies will then be 

 high in the heavens, in excellent posi- 

 tion for the observation. 



THE PLANETS IN JUNE. 



Mercury, which reached its greatest 

 western elongation on May 13, passes 

 to the east of the sun on June 17, but 

 as it will not reach its greatest eastern 

 elongation until July 25, it will not be 

 visible this month. 



Venus is also too near the sun to be 

 seen ; by the end of the month it is al- 

 most in line with the sun, though it 

 will not pass to the west of that body 

 and enter the evening sky until July 5. 



Mars is still conspicuous in the west, 

 its rapid eastward motion during this 

 month carrying it entirely across Can- 

 cer and into the Constellation Leo. On 

 June 9 it will pass exactly north of the 

 star at F. Figur 1. and by observing 

 the two bodies in a small telescope the 

 eastward motion may be clearlv detec- 

 ted in the course of only a few hours. 

 It is of interest to notice that the 

 earliest observation of Jupiter of which 

 we have any record is connected with 

 this star. It is stated that on Septem- 

 ber 4, B. C. 240, the planet was seen 

 from Egypt to occult this star, but as 

 the observation was a naked eye one, 

 the supposed occulation was probably 

 only a very near approach. 



Mars is still rapidly drawing away 

 from the earth ; its distance from us 



is increased from 194 to 212 millions 

 of miles during the month. Since when 

 nearest it is but 36 millions of miles 

 distant, it is now in extremely unfav- 

 orable position for observation. In a 

 small telescope it appears as a reddish 

 disc, but very slightly more than one- 

 half full. 



Jupiter, the most brilliant and inter- 

 esting object now in the sky, will be at 

 once recognized as it shines well up 

 from the ground in the southeast, in 

 the eastern border of the constellation 

 of the Scorpion. 



Saturn is slowly withdrawing from 

 the rays of the sun in the morning sky, 

 and may be detected rising a little 

 north on the east point about an hour 

 before sunrise. 



Uranus and Neptune are not in fa- 

 vorable nosition for observation during 

 the month. 



On June 21, at 2 hours \J minutes 

 P. M., (Eastern standard time), the 

 sun reaches the Summer Solstice, or 

 highest point of its path in the heavens, 

 and this is therefore the longest day of 

 the present year. 



A Surprise. 



The Rev. E. J. Hardy, in his book 

 "The Unvarying East," tells a delight- 

 ful story. A young lady about to visit 

 the Holy Land called on an old lady 

 friend. She mentioned that she soon 

 honed to see Jerusalem, Bethlehem, 

 Galilee and many of the other places 

 mentioned in the Bible. 



The old lady put down her work, re- 

 moved her spectacles and exclaimed 

 in great surprise, "Well, now, I knew 

 that all these places were in the Bible, 

 but I never thought of them being on 

 the earth." — B.vcliangc. 



We can equal that story. We meet 

 plenty of people who talk about God's 

 Works, and yet seem to think of them 

 as existing only in the Bible, or as 

 poetical subjects to sing about. These 

 people apparently fail to realize that 

 God's Works are here now, in the frog 

 pond, by the roadside, and in the field. 





