The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-10-02
ASTRONOMICAL PREDICTIONS.
BY PROF. DANIEL KIRKwoOD, OF BLOOMING
TON, INDIANA.

| BY PROF. DANIEL KIRKWoOD, OF BLOOMING
TON, INDIANA.
PHENOMENA TO BE OBSERVED IN THE uEAv.
EMS DURING THE NEXT TWENTY-FIVE
YEARS-ECIPSEs COMETS. STAR SHOW
ERs FROM NOW TO NEXT CENTURY.
To the amateur astronomer a brief emu
meration of the principal phenomena to
occur in the near future will not be with
out interest. The following list includes
the total elipses of the sun and moon, the
transits of Mercury and Venus, occulta-
tons of fixed stars by the moon, the return
of periodic comets, the probable dates of
meteoric showers, and the epochs of max
ina and mnima of solar spots, from the
present time till the close of the nineteenth
century:
1875. On the morning of November 80,
Spica Tirginis, a well known star of the
first magnitude, will be occulted by the
moon. The immersion behind the moon S
bright limb will occur about 90 minutes
before o'clock, or few minutes after the
moon shall have risen. The occultation
will continue about hour and 10 minutes.
1876. Three OSCILLATIONS of the Pleiades
will take place in the last three months of
the year, viz: On October g. November 30,
and December %. The phenomena may be
well observed with small telescope.
| 1871. D'Arrest's comet will return to
perihelion in January of this year. A
total eclipse of the moon, invisible in this
country, will take place on the 9th of Feb
ruary. Another will occur on the 23rd of
Aug, partly visible in the Eastern States.
1878. This will be the next year of SUM-
spot minima. On May 9th, Mercury will
pass over the suns disk the transit occupy
| ing hours and Al minutes. This, with a
single exception, is the longest duration of
a transit on record. On the 2Sth of July
there will be an eclipse of the sun, total in
Colorado and also in the island of Cuba.
No other opportunity of witnessing a total
solar eclipse in our own country will occur
till after the close of the present century.
Enecke's comet and the second comet of
1867 will both return to perihelion in Aug.
1879. Brorsen's comet of short period
will pass its perihelion about the last of
June.
1880. Winnecke's comet period years
minutes) will return about midsummer.
The moon will be totally eclipsed on Dec.
Is; invisible in the United States.
1881. A transit of Mercury on Novem-
Der Z. Faye's comet may be looked for in
January, and Enecke's in November.
1882. The sun will be totally eclipsed
May II; the phenomenon being visible in
Egypt and Persia. The great astronomi-
cal event Of the year will be the transit of
Venus on the 9th of December, which will
be visible in the United States.
1888. A maximum of sun-spots is to be
expected this year. The comet of 1912,
whose period was estimated at 20 years
and 8 months, may be expected some time
during the year. The comet of D'Arrest
may also be looked for in June or July.
1884. The second comet of 1867 will pass
it's perihelion in April. A considerable
display of the meteors of April 90 may
be expected with some probability. The
period of this cluster is supposed to be
about 81 years. A total eclipse of the moon
will occur on the 4th of October.
1885. The comet of Brorsen will be near
est the sun in January; those of Enecke
and Tuttle in March.
1886. Winneck's comet will return in
February. The sun will be totally eclipsed
August 81. Visible in Grenada and on the
Atlantic. That part of the stream of No
vember meteors which produced the show
ers of 1877 and 1920 may be expected to
return between 1885 and 1888.
1887. Total eclipse of the sun, August
10, visible in Asia and Eastern Europe.
The comet of 1915, according to Bessels
calculations, will be in perihelion in Feb
ruary.
1888. The moon will be totally eclipsed
January %. Enecke's and Faye's comets
will return about midsummer.
1889. D'Arrest's comet will return in
November, and the second comet of 1867
in December. A minimum of sun spots is
expected.
1890. Brorsen's comet will be nearest the
sun in August.
1891. A return of Winneck's comet in
September, and of Enecke's in October.
A transit of Mercury May 9.
1892. A display of meteors derived from
Biela's comet may be expected about Nov.
a.
1894. A sun-spot maximum. A transit
of Mercury November 10.
1895. Enecke's comet will become visi-
BILE in January: the second of 1867, in Au-
gust; and Faye's in December. The moon
will be totally eclpsed on the night of
March %.
1896. Perihelion passage of Brorsen's
comet in February, and of D'Arrest's in
March. A total eclipse of the sun will
occur on the morning of August 10. Nisi-
BILE in Lapland and high northern ATTITUDES
1897. Winneckes comet will be due in
April.
1898. Enecke's comet will return in May,
and Tuttle's in October. The moon will
be totally eclipsed on the night of Deem
Der 81.
1899. The maximum display of Leonids,
or Nov. meteors, may be expected this year
on the morning of the 18th of the month
Considerable showers, however, will proba-
bly, be witnessed each year from 1897 to
1901. Temples comet, which is connected
with these meteors, and which preceded
them in 1866, will probably pass its peri
helion in March.
1900. A total eclipse of the sun will be
visible in Virginia May q. The first comet
of 1867, whose period is SO years and Z
months, will return in the Summer of 1900
The solar spot minimum will also occur in
this last year of the century.
The foregoing list makes no claim to
completeness. None but total eclipses have
been pointed out, and even some of these
may perhaps have been overlooked. The
most jmDortant celestial nhenomena how