The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-08-09

| Rutiner, State Superintendent Of Education
! DR.. Smith, OF Union Theological Seminary
superintendent for the county of Prince Ed
! ward: and DR.. Atkinson, president Hamp.
/ dcn-Sidney College, were present. and con
| tributcd greatly to the interest Of the occa
sion by their addresses.
| We have had an abundance Of rain Of late
rather Il supcrtluity in some portions Of the
county. The corn and tobacco crops gene
, rllly look remarkably well. S.
Onr Eloquent AstronOmcr-Agnin
tFrom The Providence Journal, 5th.l
THE PLANETS IL AUGUST.
There is stirring work ahead for our planet
airy brothers and sisters during the month OF
! August. A gala season is in progress on the
celestial pleasure ground, and the planets OF
the system are the principal actors at the
| fttc. In the first place, there is grim old
Saturn, marvellous for bis rings aud bis
! moons. He comes into opposition with the
, SUI on the 10Th. TDis means that the sun,
earth, aud Saturn are in the same straight
line. with the earthin the middle. The planet
IS then only about $50, 100000 miles from
the earth. This seems long distance to
mortal computation, but it is the merest
nothing in the universe Of splce. Saturn, at
this epoch Of his revolution. is about 49,, O00,-
900 miles nea,er TO Us than when OIL the other
side of the sun, and in conjunction, as it is
called. At least there is a very perceptble
difference in the p!aoct'S size and brlllancy,
as any observer may test for himself. At OPP
position. as the word implies, Il planet is OPP
poSite the sun, and rises when the sun SETS.
! Siturn will therefore rise at sunset on the
! 18th, after when it will be an evening star,
and may be easily traced in the eastern skv.
differing from the other planets in its dull
murky, yellow light, and being inferior in
sZ. to its companion evening stars Mars and
Jupiter. The full orb moon on the 10th plys
her respects to the latest conner among the
evening stars, and the conference of the
! Queen of Night and the stern Father Of the
! Gud> will be worth witnessing. if the wea-
ther is proptiou> for the royal pageant.
Jupiter is a brilliant object ia the West
during the evening. setting between 9 and
! 10 O'clock about the middle OF the month.
rruc to his tickle prOp"nSties, be is running
away from Spicl, his far attendant, and will
keep on in Il direct course for the rest Of the
year. He is in conjunction with the crescent
moon on the It'll, aud moon and planet in
contrasted tints Of silver and gold will trace
3 iar picture on the azure background Of the
/ aIculuS CaHopJ aUofc'
! Mars Is conspicuous in the south and easily
recognized by his ruddy light. At bis oppo.
sitlon in June, he was only forty million of
miles from us. nearer than at any time for
! fifteen years. But his great southern declna.
tion prevented him from being in favorable
position for observation by northern astrou.
om"rS. His next opposition in 1877 is eager
ly anticipated. He will then he thirty-four
and one-thrd million Of miles from the earth,
the nearest approach for thirty years. He
Wi be iavorably situated tor observation by
southern astronomers, and measurements to
obtain the suns parralaX will be carried out
with an energy and perSisfency that cannot
f.il TO determine the vcXcd question of the
suns distance. The moon and Mars carry
on 4 celestial Irritation on the evening Of the
! 18th, when they in their turn will become
| objects of prime interest to terrestrial star.
| gaZerS.
Venus is now bright morning star,
rapidly approaching the su1, with whom she
comes INTO superior conjunction on the % /
Of September, and end, her pre- sent r6Le of
morning star The moon does not pIv her
RESPECTS 10 her sister queen until the Goth
the last morning Of her reign. But the pref
ticst picture of the celestial gallery will be Ga
exhibition on the morning Of the 10th, when
| fiery Mercury and gentle Venus are in con-
junction. Observers must be early in the
| lield, and look with eager eyes TO catch the
| lights and shades of this brilliant show, for
| the enviouS sun will quickly, with his
| brighter beams. break up the meeting.
There are various other items of celestial
interest to diversity the passing month. On
the IL: b, ST. Lawrepce'S day, the annual fall
| of August meteOr> ocSurs; and some of the
" fiery tears" will be sure to be visible du-
ring the night. radiating from the northeast.
near the constellation PerSeus. Swft.fO0tcd
Mercury comes into superior conjunction
with the sun On the 2l>t, and then becomes
an evening star. But heeompletes his revc-
| buttons in such short periods, and remains so
near the suu, that it is dinl:ult TO keep the
run Of his movements. On the rare occ;s.
sions when be can be picked up," he is
worth looking at, and they are fortunate who
| have only once caught glimpse Of bis bright
| face.
! Thus with Mars and Jupiter for evening
stars, Venus Tor morning star, and Saturn
and Mercury playing an alternate role. the
skies Of the soft summer night will be full OF
| interest for human observation. Adding to
these planetary movements, the waxing and
| waning of the August moon, the appearance
of second new moon on the 30th, the pas.
sage of the earth through the August me.
,eor.zone, and the conjuuctions and opposi.
| tons visible and invisible OF the great celes-
t,al forces, it i. certain that observers will
have busy time in tracing out the move
ments we have indicated. Us they mark their
shining course among the myriad twinkllng
stars. If the pIeasure-seekers among the
mountains or By the sea-s6ore would cult.
ya,e taste for astronomy, how grand and
uninterrupted would be their field for nightly
observation, and how ennoHing and eXalt.
ing the study of the star-spangled iirmament
that nightly renaws its miracles of beauty TO
earnest and appreciatiye eyes.
POSTAL. -Disconttnued.- Whim,