Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-08-07

There is stirring work ahead ror ,o,,r ,,,,,,.
etsry brothers and sisters during the p,oofl,
or August. gala season i In pros,reS. a.,
the celestial pleasure ground. and the plan-
cts OF the system are the principal actors ~,
ne fete. In the first place, there is grim old
saturn, marvellous for his rings aud ht~
moons. He comes into opposition with the
sun on the 18Th. This means that the sun
earth and Saturn are in the same straight
me, with the earth In the middle. TIE
plahtt Is then only shout S0.eoo. 40 miles
nom the earth. This seems a long distance
10 mortal computation. but 10 is the mereSt
nothlng IN the universe Of space. Saturn A.
this epoch OF his revolution Is atsput -, an ~ :,
miles nearer to us than when on the Other
slde or the sun. and In coniunctioD As IN -
- tvs.st insrs i very perceptihe
as any observer may test for himself 81
opposition, as The word implies. a planet -
CpT osite the sun. and rises when the sun So
Saturn viii therefore rise az sunset ON he
18th, after which 10 will he an evening star
and may be easily trssed I'm the eastern sky
differing from the other planets IN It's duil
murky yellow light, ami being Inferior ia
SlEe TO its companion evening stars. Mas
and Jupiter. The full orbssi moon on The l6.h
pays her respects 20 TIE latest conner amoIg
tSe evening stars, and the conference 81 ~.
queen OF night and the stern father II ne
gods viii he worth witnessing. II the weather
i gropluous Tor thc roygl pageant
Jupiter rs "a brilliant object in The vr,.st
curirg the evening. setting between u1f,, a,
ten o'clock about The middle OF the mont a
True II has tickle prol'eIlSii -. he u ruuntuk
a T.
Keep nu On direct course Tor the roSi 81 Il,
year. He : I'm COZ iun tspn With the crescent
moon ON the TN, and Noon and oil set Ii
coatrasted tlnts 81 81 ser and gold witl ira r,
iair picture on the szUre back ground *
TIE archlHg canopy above.
Mars rs conspicuous in The south and cas-. Ir
recognized by his ruiay light Al has ot-
position ia June. he was only forty million
81 miles nom Us, nearer than az any tina
fNr nffeen years. But his great SDuflrr-I do
C!inauon prevented him trun beng IN a
4 II 49, fs to- go
trn astronomers. lis next opposition fu
10 : eagerly anticipated. lie will then to-
lhlr'y Hour and one thini million OF miles
nom The earth the nearest approach f1r
thirty years. He vii. he faVpratAy Situar.F
Tor observation by southern aStrurorurrS
and meas uT.mcurS - obtain the sun'S psrHl
lax III be- carried out with An energy eat
persistency that cannot fan todetcrinlnc fht
veNed question 81 tie suns distance Ia
moon and MarS carry on celestial nIrfa-
ton on TIE evening 81 The I-fh when .irpy i-
turn viii become objects of prime interest RI
terrestrial star EaZeTs
Venus j. Low a bright morning S-a~ rqgf O.
~ approaching the sun. win whom She
comes INTO superior cDr Junction on the -!
Of september, and eut> her present role nr
morning star. The moon does not nav her
respects 10 her sister queen uuiu the fafl
TIE last morning Of htr reign. bat the prpf-
il'st picture Of tie celestial gallery viii ba
on exhibition on The morning of the lIfh
when n'ry Mercury aud gentle Venus are o.,
col junction Observer must hp early ID, fi.s
ntia, am Look with eager ewes - catch the
IELts anc shades OF ihls brilliant show. Tor
Ire eHNious sun VIII quickly with ris
brighter beams break up the meeting
There ara EariOus other items OF celestial
interest u diversity the passing month. az,
lAe lhih 81 Lawrence taNI tn annual fa
OF August meteDrs oCEur~. and some of the
'nriy tears VIII To- sure 10 h., visible lUrll.
the night. ~adlatiug tIom the northeast near
he constellation PerseuS SWift- fpot..i
Mercury c"Iues into superior conjunction
with the sun Oh the list. and then becomes
evening star but he completes his revoIu-
tons IN such snort periods, and remains -
near the sun, That u Is difficult 70 Keep fl,.
run OF his movements. Ou the rare Drpa-
sl"ns when he can be picked an" ne i
worth looking al. aI.d they are Iortuuat.
WHO nave only once caught glimpse %. hi-
bright face
THUS with Mars and Jupiter for evening
and Mercury playing an alternate role the
skies OF the Loft summer night will be fun OF
interest Tor human observation. Adding -
these planetary movements. the waxing ant
waning OF The August moon. the appearance
OF second new moon on the thirtieth the
passage Of the earth through the August
meteor zone, and the con Jutcf ions aud Oppp-
sltiOnS visible and invisible OF the great ca
IeStial forces IL il Ger ain that observers will
have busy time in tracing out The move
ments We have indiCa-e1, a. they mark Their
shining course amid the myriad twiHklirg
stars. II the pleaSure-SeckCrs among the
mountains. or by the Sea-shOTe would culfi-
waite taste FOR astronomy. how grand and
uninterrupted would he their field fOr nightly
obSerN alton, and how annobling and evaltiug
the study OF the St8r-SpaDglei frmama-It
that nightly reneWs q miracles OF beauty
70 earnest axd appreciative eyeS--FfOri-