White break the clouds away.”
Had our poetic friend, Thompson, lived in Meadville or New York, instead of London, he would not even on the 21st of June, have been so much disposed to sing:
“Short is the doubtful empire of the Night;”
for the shortest night of New York is over an hour longer than the shortest night of London. But what were Meadville and New York in 1727? June 21st is our longest day, in latitude 41° 30′, a little more than fifteen hours from sunrise to sunset; the night, of course, a little less than nine hours. On this day the sun reaches his northern limit, 23° 27′ 3.2″, and at 2:42 a. m. begins his southern journey; or, to put it astronomically, the sun enters Gemini, and summer begins, on June 21st, at 1:42 a. m. On the 1st, sun rises at 4:31 a. m., sets at 7:24 p. m.; on the 16th, rises at 4:29 a. m., sets at 7:32 p. m.; and on the 30th rises at 4:33 a. m., sets at 7:34 p. m. Many persons judging from the temperature will be inclined to think on the 21st that the sun must be at midday directly above their head; but it will have an elevation of not more than 73°.
THE MOON
Enters upon its last quarter on the 5th, at 6:56 p. m.; new moon on the 12th, at 5:34 p. m.; first quarter, 19th, at 8:40 a. m.; and full on the 27th, at 6:09 a. m. Farthest from the earth on the 28th, at 12:54 a. m.; nearest the earth on the 13th, at 11:12 a. m. Greatest elevation, 66° 56′ 25″, on the 13th; least elevation, 30° 2′ 40″, on the 27th. Rises on the 1st, at 10:15 p. m.; sets on the 16th, at 10:41 p. m.; and rises on the 30th, at 9:27 p. m.
MERCURY
Will be our morning star till the 27th, after which it will be evening star till the end of the month. On the 1st it will rise at 3:34 a. m., or about one hour earlier than the sun, and can probably be seen by good eyes. On the 16th, it will rise at 3:46 a. m.; and on the 30th, will set at 7:51 p. m., or a few minutes after sunset, but will be too near the sun to be visible. Its motion will be direct, amounting to 59° 50′. Its diameter will decrease from 7″ to 5″. On the 5th, at 2:00 p. m., will be 48′ south of Neptune; on the 11th, at 10:57 a. m., 2° 57′ north of the moon; on the 23d, at 11:00 p. m., 1° 41′ north of Saturn; on the 24th, at 3:00 a. m., in perihelion (nearest the sun); and on the 27th, at 10:00 a. m., in superior conjunction with the sun.
VENUS,
Although she acts the part of an evening star, is rather “mild” this month. She rises after the sun, and sets on the 1st, at 7:56; on the 16th, at 8:20; and on the 30th, at 8:33 p. m. Her diameter increases four tenths of a second of arc; and she makes a direct motion of 40° 3′. On the 7th, at 5:00 p. m., she is 1° 32′ north of Saturn; on the 13th, at 10:54 a. m., 5° 48′ north of the moon; and on the 26th, at 3:00 p. m., in perihelion.