account of her long association with superstition, false theology
and heathen feasts. She has not purged herself even to this day!
The ancients were probably right when they called erratic and
ill-balanced persons "luny." Now we come to the day and find that it
is about the right practical length--but what kind of a day? As there
are five kinds we ought to be able to select one good enough. They
are:--
1st. The solar day, or noon to noon by the sun.
2nd. An imaginary sun moving uniformly in the ecliptic.
3rd. A second imaginary sun moving uniformly parallel to the
equator at all seasons of the year.
4th. One absolute rotation of the earth.
5th. One rotation of the earth measured from the node, or
point, of the spring equinox.
The difference between 1st and 2nd is that part of the sun's error
due to the elliptical orbit of the earth.
The other part of the sun's error--and the larger--between 2nd and 3rd
is that due to the obliquity of the ecliptic to the equator.
The whole error between 1st and 3rd is the "equation of time" as
shown for even minutes in the first chapter under the heading, "Sun
on Noon Mark 1909."
Stated simply, for our present purpose, 1st is sundial time, and 3rd
our 24-hour clock time.
This 2nd day is therefore a refinement of the astronomers to
separate the two principal causes of the sun's error, and I think we
ought to handle it cautiously, or my friend, Professor Todd, might
rap us over the knuckles for being presumptuous.
This 5th day is the sidereal day of the astronomers and is the basis
of our time, so it is entitled to a little attention. I shall confine
"sidereal day" to this 5th to avoid confusion with 4th. If you will
extend the plane of the equator into the star sphere, you have the
celestial equator. When the center of the sun passes through this
plane on his journey north, in the Spring, we say, "the sun has
crossed the line." This is a distant point in the Zodiac which can
be determined for any given year by reference to the fixed stars. To
avoid technicalities as much as possible we will call it the point
of the Spring equinox. This is really the point which determines
the common year, or year of the seasons. Using popular language,
the seasons are marked by four points,--Spring equinox--longest day--;
Autumnal equinox--shortest day. This would be very simple if the
equinoctial points would stay in the same places in the star sphere;
but we find that they creep westward each year to the extent of 50
seconds of arc in the great celestial circle of the Zodiac. This is
called the precession of the equinoxes. The year is measured from
Spring equinox to Spring equinox again; but each year it comes 50
seconds of arc less than a full revolution of the earth around the
sun. Therefore _if we measured our year by a full revolution_ we
would displace the months with reference to the seasons till the
hot weather would come in January and the cold weather in July in
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