Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1875-10-21
ASTRONOMICAL PREDICTIONS.
Phenomena to be Observed I'm the Heav'
ems During the next tTwenty-fvey years
-Ecltpses, Comets and Star.Sho"-
ers from now to next Century,.

| ers from now to next Century.
Professor Kirkwood, of Bloomington Indiana, in the
! New York Tribune
To the amateur astronomer brief enumer-
alton of the principal phenomena 10 occur IN
the near future will not be without interest.
The following list includes the total ecllpses
Of the sun and moon, the transits of Mercury
and Venus, occultations of fixed stars by the
moon, the return Of periodic comets, the pro-
bable dates of meteoric showers, and the
| epochs of maximaand mnima of solar spots,
from the present time until the close OF the
nineteenth century:
1875.-On the morning of November 23d:
| Spica Virgins, a well-knoWn star OF the hrst
magnitude, will be occulted by the moon.
The immersion behind the moons bright
limb will occur about 20 minutes, before 2
o'clock, or a few minutes after the moon
shall have risen. The OccultatiOn will con-
tinue about one hour and twelve minutes.
| 1S76-Three occultations of the Pleiades
will take place in the last three months in the
year, viz: On October 6, November 80, and
| December 28. The phenomena may be well
| observed with a small telescope.
| 1S77.-D'Arrest's comet will return to peri
helion in January of this year. A total eclipse
of the moon, invisible in this country, will
take place on the 9th of February. Another
will occur on the 23d of August, partly visi-
| BILE in the Eastern States.
! 1S1S.-This will be the next year OF sun
spot minima. On May 6, Mercury will pass
over the suns disk, the transit occupying
seven hours and forty seven minutes. This,
with single exception, is the longest dura-
ton of transit on record. On the 28th 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 total
solar eclipse in our own country will occur
until after the close Of the century. Eucke's
comet and the second comet Of 1867 will both
return to perhelion in August.
1S79.-Brorsen's comet of short period will
pass it's perihelion about the last Of June.
-Winnecke's comet (period five years
and seven months) will return about mid
summer The moon will be totally eclipsed
on December 16; invisible in the United
States.
1981.-A transit of Mercury on September
Z. Fayes comet may be looked for in JAN
uary, and Encke's in November.
1SS2.-The sun will be totally eclipsed May
II; the phenomenon being visible in Egypt
and Persia The great astronomical event
of the year will be the transit of Venus on the
9th of December, which will be visible in the
United States.
1884 maximum of sun-spots is to be
expected this year. The comet Of 1912, whose
period was estimated at 70 years and months,
may be expected some time during the year.
| The comet of DArrest may also be looked
for in June or July.
184.-The second comet of 1867 will pass
its perihelion in April A considerable dis
play of meteors on April 20 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.
| 1e85.-The comet Of Brorsen will be near
est the sun in January; those Of Encke and
Tuttle in March.
1S86.-Winnecke' comet will return in
February. The sun will be totally eclipsed
August 20. Visible in Grenada, and on the
Atlantic That part Of the stream OF Novem-
Der meteors which produced the showers Of
1887 and 1920 may be expected to return be-
tween 1885 and 1888.
! 1887.-The eclipse of the sun, August 49,,
visible in Asia and Eastern Europe. The
comet of 1916, according to Bessels calcula-
TONS, will be in perihelion in February.
1SSS.-The moon will be totally eclipsed
January %. Encke's and Fayes comets will
return about midsummer.
1SS9.-D'Arrest's comet will return in No
vember, and the second comet Of 1867 in De-
cember. A minimum Of sun-spOts is eX-
pected.
1S9O.-Brorsen's comet will be the nearest
the sun in August.
1S91.-A return of Winnecke's comet in
September, and Encke's in October. A transit
of Mercury, May 9.
1S92.-A display of meteors derived from
Biela's comet may be expected about Novem-
ber a.
1894 sun-spot maximum A transit of
Mercury, November 10.
1895.-Encke's comet will become visible
in January; the second Of 1867 in August,
and Faye's in December. The moon will be
totally eclipsed on the night of March 25.
1995.--Perihelion passage Of Brorsens s
comet in February, and D'Arrests in March.
A total eclipse of the sun will occur on the
morning Of August 10. Visible in Lapland
and high northern latitudes.
1897.-Winneckes comet will be due in
April.
1899.-Encke's comet will return in May,
and Tuttle's in October. The moon will be
totally eclipsed on the night of December 81.
1899.-The maximum display OF Leonids,
or November 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.
Tembel's comet, which is connected with
these meteors, and which preceded them in
1866, will probably pass its perihelion in
March.
1904 total eclipse Of the sun will be
visible in Virginia, May q. The first comet
of 1867, whose period is % years and 7
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 COM
pleteness None but total eclipses have been