New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-03-01
NIGHT-NOTES.
TILE LESSER EVENING STAR.
ministIation.

an hour before the sum- and will continue westward OF
him till the middle of May when she makes tue outer
passage-as superior conjunction may be termed-rs'
ing and setting with the After that she gradually
separates from the lumiDary, resumng In early Sum-
uer her splendid reign as Evening Star, and so con-
nues through the year. But do you know, Sir, there
s another evening star row visible
Reporter-I did not. What is 1T
stronomer-Mercury. Little celebrated because sell
dom seem and then but briefly For luser it Is not to
be con pared Of course with Venus and yet under favor
ing circumstances it il fine object
Rcpoyter-Can il be seen with the naked eye, Sir
A,ironorner-Yes, after a clear sunset. lts present
position is favorable it's apparon an evening star
Still You will not he likely to see it unless you watch
for lie coming Just after sunset and look IN the right
place.
RcDorter-Wbere must look Sir
Astyononcr-O Observe behind what terrestrial object
the sun goes down, and off along the horizon
north Of that object sixteen breadhs Of the moon or
eight and half degrees. There run line up the sky,
inclined toward the south in angle Of fifty degrees
with the horizon and at distance of twentyfour de-
erees you upon the hidng-Pace of the little body
Keep watch along that oblque line which Is the path
the planet takes to his setting and the atmosphere be
clear you will very likely catch plain sight Of him short
ly after sunset.
Reportcr-How sball know the planet when see
i'll May not mistake some other star for ii
Astronomer-There If no bright star in the quarter
where he is at present. that if you zee fine star
near the horizon on the line have described you may
be sure il s Mercury
Reporter-How long after the sun does be set
AstroHomer--His elongaon-as planets apparent
departure from the sui is technically caed-s greatest
on the 9th Of February when it amounts to eighteen
degrees and more and he is about 65 minutes OF time
behind the sun. Amer this date the distance of separa
ton grows gradually narrower till the middle Of March
when he makes the inner passage or inferior conunc-
ton and rises and sets with the sun.
Reporter-Wil you kindly point out 10 me, Astrono-
er the course Of this curious little planet since New
Year
Astyono.er-His path has no; lain since the begin
ming Of the year in any part OF the Zodiac now above
the horizon. You kno he never wanders lar rom the
sun east or west sed; n, at his greatest departure OF
eloDeaon more than half az far as Venus does AT her
greatest elongaton that in order to trace ms pain
among the stars we should be obliged 10 take An early
hour before sunrise when should have above us the
Serpent Bearer, the divided stream of the Milky Way,
and the Archer all which the Gun and his baby planet
have trayersed since the Winter began.
-
Asironcntr-At the opening Of the year. He then
rose an hour and n quarter before the SUM- From The
border Of tie Serpent Bearer and the Archer in the
mighty rift of the Milky Way, and in the most south
ery part of the suns annual path, be moved along the
Zodiac rst on one side of the ecptc and then the
opposite following the eastward across the eastern
branch Of the galaxy and through the Archer, gaining
daily upon the luminary and overtaking and passing
him at the close of the month"; in the middle Of Capri
corn. From that point he has led the through
Capricorn and the Water Bearer distancing splendid
competitor, and appearing the Lesser Evening
Star Entering the Fishes, where we now behold him,
he slackens his pace and at length the 9TH OF March,
when within less than the moons breadth Of the yeal
eouiuox he tuins back TO greet the again. In nine
DAYS they meet and sweep past each other, the sun
crossing the vernal equinox five days after and usher
ing in the spring while Mercury continues to retro
grade iii the close of the month"; when he is eleven de-
grees further from the yeal equinox than he at
II beginning Of the month. Then he turns again and
adyances But the Sun has stolen march on bis MIN
befooted little puIsucr and rapidly oustrps him,
no that on the 10Th Of April the planet appears at
greater departure from the than at any other juno
ture Of the present year. viz. wentyseven and half
degrees lie is then in his glory the Lesser Morn
ing Star az be is now the Lesser Evening Star. On
the 10th Of April he passes the yea equinox, and af
ter that gains upon the at greater and greater
rate daily sweeping on through the Fishes and the
Ram and on the Dist of May overakes him in the neck
ofthe Bull near the Pleiades which you zee toward
the west yonder. Here he makes the outer passage
again-superior conjunction-afer interval of III
DAYS since the previous similar epoch This interval
we call bis synodc period.
ReDorteT-When il he nearest 10 u.s. Sir
stronomer-When, at inferior conjunction, he s IN
aphelon that il TO say, futhest from the sun. He Is
then longest visible also biz orbita motion being slower
than is in any other part Of his orbit AT present he
is some S8 millions Of miles from the earth and 80 mil
lions from the sun. At inferior con uncon-March 10
lie will be within So millions of us.
Reporter-IIow does he appear, Sir through the tel
escOpel
d,tyoRomfr-Like miniature half NOON This form,
however will pass in the of few days, into
beautiful crescentif the Iibenicism OF 30 naming
diminishing phase may be alOwed-as be swings round
between the earth and the sun in his orbitl
Having lust pasred his perihel5nthat part of his orbit
which il nearest the sunhe il four millions further
from ma han he will be on the 10Th Of April when he
will be only two days and half past his apheon Be
sides, he will then be longer above the horizon free
from the interference Of the solar beams than he is
now Ring an hour and thityeght minutes before the
sun.
Reportlr-Wili he then, az now remain visible many
days1
Asiropomer--Ycs Toward the end Of March and
throughout April he will be visible every favorable
morning. more conspicuously after the l2th OF Apnl
than before it, since more and Of his Illuminated