Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1875-11-20
ASTRONOMICAL PREDICTIONS.


ASTRONOMICAL PREDICTIONS.
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To the amateur astronomer, writes
Professor Kirkwood, a brief enumeration
Of the principal phenomena to occur in
the near future will not be without in.
tcrest Tho following list includes the
eclipses Of the sun and moon, the tran
sits Of Mercury and Venus; occulati0ns
of fixed stars by the moon, the return 81
periodic COMETS the. probable dates Of
| meteoric showers, and the epochs oi
maxima and minima Of solar spots, from
the present time till the close of the
nineteenth century: H. ~
| 1875. On the morning Of November
f, %, Spica Virgins, a well-known star Of
| the first magnitude, will be occultcd by
| the moon. The immersion behind the
moons bright limb will occur about 1:50
O'clock, or q few minutes after the moon
shall have risen. The ocoultalion will
lcontinue about one hour and twelve
minutes ~
1876. Three occultations Of the PIei-
adese will take place in the last three
months of the year, viz, on October g.,
November 80, and December 2S. The
phenomena may be well observed with a
small telescope.
1877. 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 February. Another will occur on
the 23d of August, partly visible in. the
eastern states.
1878. This will be the next year of
sun-spot minima. On May 6, Mercury
will pass over the suns disk, the transit
occupying 7h. AIM. This, with single
exception, is the largest duration Of a
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 witness
ing total eclipse in our own country
will occur till after the close of the pres
ent century. Encke's comet and the
secord comet of 1867, will both return to
perihelion in August.
1879. Brorsen's comet of short period
will pass its perihelion about the last of
June.
1880. Winnecki's comet (period Oh.
7m.) will retun about midsummer.
The moon will be totally eclipsed on
December Is; invisible in the United
States.
1881. A transit on Mercury on May7.
Faye's comet may be looked for in jan
uary, and Encke's in November.
1882. The sun will be totally eclipsed
May II; the phenomenon being visible
in Egypt and Persia. The great astro-
nomical event of the year will be the
transit of Venus on the 9th of Novem-
ber, which will be visible in the United
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 months may be expected
some time during the year. The comet
of DArrest may also be looked for in
June or July.
1884. The second comet of 1867 will
pass its perihelion in April. A consider
able display of the meteors of April 20
The period of this cluster is supposed to
be about twenty-seven years. A total
eclipse of the moon will occur 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 Grenada
and on the Atlantic. That part of the
stream of November meteors which pro-
duced the showers of 1887 and 1920 may
be expected to return between 1885 and
1888.
1887. Total eclipse of tho 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 %. Encke'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. Brorsens comet will be nearest
the sun in August.
1891. A return of Winnecke's comet in
September, and of Encke's in October.
A transit of Mercury, May 9.
1892. A display of meteors derived
from Biela's comet may be expected
about November "a.
1894. A sun-spot maximum. A tran
sit of Mercury, November 10.
1895. Encke's comet will become visi-
BILE 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.
1896. Perihelion passage of Brorson's
comot in February, and of D'Arrest's in
March. A total eclipse of the sun will
occur on the morning of August 49,.
Visible in Lapland and high northern
latitudes.
1897. Winnecke's comet will be due in
April.
1898. 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 Leon
dis, or November meteors, may be ex-
pected this year on the morning of the
10Th of the month. Considerable show
ers, however will probably 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 perihelion in
March.
1900. A total eclipse of the sun will be
visible in Virginia May 9th. The first
comet of 1868, whose period is thirty
three years and seven months, will return
in the summer of 1900. The solar-spot
minimum will occur in the 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 important celestial phenomena
however, and especially such as may be
observed in our own country, have beer
briefly designated.
There are some peculiar facts con
cerning the distribution of the nightin-
gale in Europe. 1t is found as far north
rs Sweden and as far west as Spain and
Portugal, and yet it never visits Scot