American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-04-15
The Visible Planets.

> =
Prof. A. X. Bartlett furnishes the De-
troit Free Press with the following in
formation concerning those planets now
visible to the naked eye: = =
MERCURY. =.
The planet Mercury is, at present,
quite unfavorably situated for observa-
ton, as it is now in close proximity to
the sun, having reached its greatest
elongation west on Friday, March 10th,
at which timei its apparent distance from
the sun was twenty-seven degrees and
thirty-one minutes Mercury is now
rapidly approaching the sun, and will
soon be lost in the brilianoy of that
orb. On April 21st Mercury will be
situated in his superior conjunction with
the sun, after which he will pass to the
eastward of that funinary, and reach
his greatest elongation on May goth,
when he may be seen as an |" evening
STAR This planet can be seen dis
tinctly with the naked eye only about
the time of its greatest elongation, and,
to those who reside ins northern ati-
tudes,it win hardy be visible even at
such periods, if it be near the extreme
point of its southern declination.
y. y-..-vy , zs-zs - VENUS,
The planet Venus is, at present,
the most beautiful of all the planets Wis
ible to the naked eye, rand is "a very
conspicuous object upon our western
heavens after, sunset. No other orb
now visible in the evening sky can equal
or even vie with this planet in splendor.
The brilliancy of Venus is such that it
can not be mistaken by any observer,
especially when its position in the heav-l
ems has been pointed out. Those beaus
tiful lines by Milton viii surely apply to
Venus at the present time: .s -
. q : Now CLOVIS the armament
With living sapphires; Hesperus, that leads
The starry host, rides brightest. I
Venus will reach her greatest elonga-
ton east on May 4th, after which she
will remain stationary for a few days,
and then retrace her course toward the
sun On July 14th Venus passes her
interior conjunction, after. which she
will be no longer seen in the evening
for period of nine and one-haf
months. g She 4 will then become a
morning star, and, about ten days af-
ter her conjunction, can be seen in the
twilight before sunrise. Venus will APP
pear. brightest, this year, on June goth,
at which time her brilliancy will be so
great as to cast faint shadow.
MARS.
The planet Mars is now worry favora-
bly, situated for observation, and is quite
a prominent orb upon our evening sky
in the west. Mars is at present in the
Aries, and can be easily
from the ixed stars by his
ruddy appearance. In our latitude
Nlars7can now be observed to much aa-
as he does not set until nearly |
8 o'clock-long after the evening twi-
light has disappeared. Mars is slowly
the sun, butt will continue
as an g evening STAR until, Aug. 6,
when he will be in conjunction with the
sun. Z On Wednesday, March29, Mars
came into conjunction with Venus, at
which time these planets were seen to-
gether through the same field of a tele-
scope. Il
JUPITER.
This great planet is not very inter-
,sting object at present, being visible
,nly In the morning, and quite unfa-
yorably situated for inspection. When
situated, however, SJupi-
err is charming orb to behold, and can
scarcely be mistaken, as he is next to
Tenus in appearance, magnitude and
plendor. Jupiter will appear most !
brilliant on May II, when it is in OPP
position to the sun, and his satellites
md belts will then present a fine APP
as seen through a telescope.
SATURN.
Saturn, the "ringed world" is at
resent the most unfavorably situated of
IL the visible planets. He was situated
n conjunction with the sun on Feb. Il,