The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1875-10-06


To the amateur astronomer brief
enumeration of the principal phenom-
ena to occur in the near future will
not be without interest. The follow
ing list includes the total eclipses of
the sun and moon, the transits of
Mercury and Venus, occulations Of
fixed stars by the moon, the return of
periodic comets. the probable dates of
meteoric showers, and the .epochs OF
maxima and minima OF solar spots,
from the present time till the close
of the nineteenth century:
1875. On the morning of November
%, Spica Virgins, a well known star
of the first magnitude, will be occult
| ed by the moon The immersion be-
hind the moons bright limb will oc-
cur about twenty minutes before 2
o'clock, or a few minutes after the
moon shall have risen. The occulta-
tion will continue about one hour and
! twelve minutes.
1876. Three occultations of the
Pleiades will take place in the last
three months of the year, viz: On
October 6. November 30, and Decem-
Der %. The phenomena may be we'll
observed with small telescope.
| 1877. d. Arrests comet will return
to perihelion in January of this year.
| A total eclipse of the moon, invisible
in this country, will take place on to
9th of February. Another will oc-
cur on the 23d of August, partly visi-
| BILE in the Eastern States.
1873. This will be the next year of
sun-spot minima. On May 6, Mer-
curry will pass over the suns disk, the
transit occupying seven hours forty
seven minutes. This, with a single
exception, is the longest duration of a
transit on record. On the 18th of
July there will be an eclipse of the
sun, total in Colorado and also in the
island of Cuba. No other opportuni-
| ty of witnessing total solar eclipse in
our country will occur till after the
close of the present century. Encke's
| comet and the second comet of 1867,
will both return to perihelion in Au-
| gust.
1879. Brorsen's comet, Of short pc
riod, will pass its periheEon about the
| last of June.
1880. Winnecke's comet (period 5y.
7m.) will return about midsummer.
The moon will be totally eclipsed on
December Is; invisible in the United
| States.
1881. A transit of Mercury on No.
venber7. Faye's comet may be look
ed for in January, and Encke's In No
vember.
1882. The sun will be totally eclips-
| ed 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 visi-
| blo -, tho IIpitnd States
| 1883. 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 expect
| ed 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 its perihelion in April. A con-
| siderable display of the meteors Of
| April 20 may be expected with some
probability. The period of this clus
| ter is supposed to be about q years.
| A total eclipse of the moon will oc-
! cur on the 4th of October.
1885. The comet of Brorsen will be
nearest the sun in January; those OF
Encke and Tuttle in March.
| 1886. Winnecke's comet will return
| in February. The sun will be totally
eclipsed August 20. Visible in Gre
NADIA and on the Atlantic That part
of the stream Of November nleteors
which produced the showers of 1877
| and 1920 may be expected to return
between 1885 and 1888.
1887. Total eclipse OF the sun. Au-
| gust 10, visible in Asia and Eastern
Europe. The comet of 1916, accord
ing to Bessel's calculations, will be in
] perihelion in February.
1888. The moon will be totally
eclipsed January %. Encke's and
| Faye's comets will return about mid
summer.
1889. D'Arrest's comet will return
| in November, and the second comet
| of 1867 in December. A minimum of
sun-spots is expected.
1880. Brorsen's comet will be near
est the sun in August.
1891. A return of Winnecke's com.
ct in September, and of Encke's in
October. A transit of Mercury May 8.
| 1892 A display of meteors derived
| from Bieia's comet may be expected
about November "a.
1894 A sun-spot maximum. A
transit of Mercury November 10.
1895. Encke's comet will become
visible in January; the second of 1861,
in August; and Faye's in December.
The moon will be Totally eclipsed on
the night Of March Is.
1896. Perihelion passage of Bror-
sens comet i'll February, and of d. Ar
rests in March A total eclipse Of
the sun will occur on the morning of
August 10. Visible In Lapland and
high northern latitudes.
1897. Winnecke's comet will be due
in April.
1893. Encke's comet will return in
May, and Tuttle's in October. The
moon will be totally eclipsed on the
night of December q.
1899. The maximum display of lie
onids, or November meteors, may be
expected this year on the morning of
the 10Th of the month. Considerable
showers. however, will probably be
witnessed each year from 1897 to 1901.
Tempel's comet, which is connected
with these meteors, and which prece
ded them in 1866 will probably pass
it's perihelion in March.
1900. A total eclipse of the sun will
be visible in Virginia, May q. The
first comet of 1867, whose period is 80
years and months, will return in the
summer of 1900. The solar-spot min
imum 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 import
ant celestial phenomena, however, and
espeeially such as NAV be observed in