Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1860-01-20
NO. IT,.


II
PrErs ArruE SKY.-The New York Cen
4 tury" for this week has m instructive article
on The Heavens" from which we conden-e
the following:
For several months the evening SKY, save
when it was lighted up by the moon, possessed
unusually little interest to the ordinary ~
server. Only two or three stars ot the hr-t
magnitude and but a small sprinkllng 4 ih'
second were visible, their planetary neighbort
\ having been apparently frightened by pan
\ IT, off the great Celestial Change ~ pre-
\ sent it Is very different Confidence has re-
yiycd and no fewer than half dozen rs
I these bodies, independent Of the sun and moon,
are within view during some portion " the
\ night; while the finest of consultations that
adorn the celestial vault, appear in the east
\ crn sky. No other section Of the heavens
4 presents 20 magnificent spectacle as that
i which now comes into view between the hours
\ Of FIVE and nine o'clock IN the evening.
"Shortly attersunset, venus the goddess oi
\ beauty. Is seen in the west, having recently
\ emerged from the Suns rays; while Jupiter,
! king Oft the gods, displays his serene yisage
| on the eastern horizon. Saturn, On account
| ofhs venerable age, We presume, Is more
| dilatory III rising; but, little past eight,
4 has become, next to Jupiter, the most con
/ spicuous object in the orient. Uranus pre-
| ccdes both the last, but il too indistincC u be
readily detected by the naked eye, surround
\ ed rs ii Il with such attractive objects ~ the
\ constellation Taurus. The fiery countenance
Of Mars can only be seen after three o'clock
a. M, and that Of Mercury not until three
\ hours later, being the Suns last visible per
cursor In . few days il will have dlsap-
4 peared from view altogether.
The frst-namcd Of those planets, Nenus)
Il now III the constellation Aquarus be
tween twenty-five and thirty degrees east
4 of the sun lis distance from the Earth i
about one hundred and fifty millions u
miles When at its superior conjunction,
Of on the opposite side Of the Sun, as II was
\ oh the 9th Of September last, its distance
\ from ~ was thirteen millions ot miles
4 greater: but since then il has been gradual
4 ~ approaching, and viii continue - move
/ ia this direction until next July, when II
viii lie only twenty-soyen millions miles
\ distant
Jupiter i about eight degrees east OF the
\ bright star Pollux, in Gemini, and apparent
II travelling towards the west among the
4 fixed stars. Within three months, il ha-
moved between two and three degrees IN this
direction. and ii will 20 continue nearly a.
much longer
Jupiter il now nearly ia opposition t2
the Sun, and therefore, one hundred ana
ninety millions 0f miles nearer Us than IL
will Je I'D Its conjunction, siX months hence
4 Saturn il now in the constellation Leo,
4 about three degrees II the northwest 81 the
i bright star Regulus, towards which II ha-
\ been travelling until lately. Its distance II
4 fully twice as great as that Of Jupiter, bul
4 will decrease slightly tor the next two
months.
Mars may bc observed rising shortly ai-
ter o'clock in tie morning, to the South II
East III IS at present within the four stars
\ forming the constellation Libra, nearly two
degrees East III the star Iubenesch. IT.
\ Eastward course viii continue some time
4 longer.
Mercury, as We write, Is about twenty
degrees West IF the Sun; but will gam
4 ittle on this. and afterwards rapidly recedc
and disappear. Owing 70 its proximity to
the Sun and the length of twilight il j dii.
iicult Cd catch glimpse Of this planet with
\ the naked eve, in Central aud Northern EG
4 rope. There Is no difficulty here IL seeing
4 1t, when at the point of greatest elongauou,
which occurs six or seven times year. lt7
4 light is less brilliant than that 81 Venus
\ bit very beautiful, and sufficient TO distiu
4 .uish the planet from any ofthe liked stars.
REPETITION or WoRDs An early mum
her II Pitmau- Reporter calculates the pr
portiouate use III words, in 10000, to be ~
\ follows