Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-02-02
PEEPS at the Sky.

The New York Century recently had an in
teresting article on i" The Heavens, . from which
we condense the following
" For several months the evening sky, save
when it was lighted by the moon, possessed un-
usually little interest to the ordinary observer.
Only two or three stars of the first magnitude,
and but small sprinkling Of the second, were
visible, their planetary neighbors having been
apparently frightened by panic off the great
Celestial Change. At present it is very differ
ent. Confidence has revived and no fewer
than half dozen of these bodies, independent
of the sun and moon, are within view during
some portion Of the night; while the finest con-
steations that adorn the celestial vaul. appear
in the eastern sky. No other section of the
heavens presents so magnificent a spectacle as
that which now comes into view between the
hours Of five and nine o'clock in the evening.
Shortly after sunset Venus, the goddess of
beauty, is seen in the west, having recently
emerged from the Suns rays; while Jupiter,
king of the gods, displays his serene visage on
the eastern horizon. Saturn, on account of his
venerable age, we presume is more dilatory in
rising but, little past eight, has become,
next to Jupiter, tho most conspicuous object in
the orient. Uranus precedes both the last, but
is too indistinct to be readily detected by the
naked eye, surrounded as it is with such attrac-
tive objects in the constellation Taurus. The
fiery countenance of Mars can only be seen after
three o'clock A. NJ, and that of Mercury not
until three hours later, being the Sum- last WIS.,
ible precursor. In few days it will have dis
appeared from view altogether
The frst-naned of those planets (Venus) is
now in the constellation Aquarius, between
twenty-five and thirty degrees east of the Sun.
It's distance from the Earth is about one hundred
and fifty millions of miles When at its supe-
rior conjunction, or on the opposite side of the
Sun, as it was on the 9th of September last,
Its distance from us was thirteen millions of
miles greater; but since then it has been con-
tinually approaching, and will continue to move
in this direction until July next, when 1t will
be only twenty-seven millions distant.
Jupiter is about eight degrees east Of the
bright star Pollux, In Gemini, and apparently
travelling towards the west among the fixed
stars. Within three months it has moved be-
tween two and three degrees in this direction,
and it will so continue nearly as much longer.
Jupiter is now nearly in opposition to the
Sun, and, therefore, one hundred and ninety
millions of miles nearer us than it will be at it's
conjunction, six months hence.
| Saturn is now in the constellation Leo, about
three degrees to the northwest of the bright star
Regulus, towards which it has been travelling
until lately. Its distance is fully twice as great
as that of Jupiter, but will decrease slightly for
the next two months.
Mars may be observed rising shortly after
three oclock in the morning, to the south of
east 1t is at present within the four stars
forming the constellation Libra, nearly two de-
grees east of the star Zubenesch Its eastward
course will continue some time longer.
Mercury, as we write, is about twenty de-
grees west of the Sun; but will gain little
on this, and afterwards rapidly recede and dis
appear Owing to its proximity to the Sun,
and the length of twilight, it is difficult to
catch glimpse of this planet with the naked
eye in Central and Northern Europe. There is
no difficulty here in seeing it, when at the point
of greatest elongation, which occurs six or seven
times year. Its light is less brilliant than
that of Venus; but very beautiful, and sufi-
cient to distinguish the planet from any of the
fixed stars