The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-09-07
Planets i'm September.

Some secret mental trait eX poses.
And when her beak Is thus oDliQue,
Her mind Is crooked as her nose Is.
Planets i'm September.
SATURN holds the place Of honor among
the planetary brotherhood, and will co.,
tinue TO be the most attractive body in the
evening Sky during the month OF Septen-
Der. He is rapidly increasing in brliIancy.
reaching his eliminating point on the 22d
instant, when he comes into opposition with
the sun, after which he will silently steal
away from terrestrial dominions, decreasing
in apparent size and brightness rs millions
OF miles are added to his distance. He rises
now about balf-past 7 in the evening, will rise
at sunset at the period OF his opposition, and
at about haIS-past ut the end Of the month.
Though at his nearest approach, the sun,
the earth, and Saturn being nearly In 4
straight line, with the earth in the centre,
be is more than eight hundred and thirty
one millions Of miles away. And yet such
are the dimensions of the huge planet, and
such is the delicacy OF human vision, that
the eve pierces without I'm effort the inter-
vening depths of space, tracks his course
among the stars and notes his obedience to
the physical laws governing the universe
as accurately and easily Us it does the fal! OF
an apple from tree or the movement OF il
soap. bubble in the air. Saturn will be in
an unusually favorable position for obser-
yation daring the whole month. He rises
now in the east an hour after sunset, and
NAV readily be distinguished from the small
stars around him by bis steady light and
dull. murlSy color. He is in the constela-
ton Pisces, where he will remain for nearly
thirty years, so that it is easy to follow his
movements when his position is once known,
and when il is borne in mind that be rises
four minutes earlier every evening and will
increase in brilliancy until the 22d instant.
The moon is in conf unction with Saturn on
the 18th, the day after her full, and lie two
heavenly bodies will form charming pic.
ture at midnight, when the planet will hang
like q pendant directly beneath the moon,
only seven degrees OF space intervening be-
tween them.
JUPITER VIII be the evening" star through
out the month, and though the movements
OF Saturn may attract more attention, not
one member Of the starry host visible be-
fore midnight can vie with him in bril-
liancy, size, or golden glow. He rises on
the first OF the month at half-past in the
afternoon, and ut the end OF the month
about half-past 2. No casual observer can
glance at the southeastern evening sky with
out recognizing this beautiful planet the
moment his eye is turned towards the hea-
vens, nor will he fail to pay tribute OF ad-
miration to star so far transcending the
innumerabte lesser lights twinkIlng around
him. The moon pays homage to the " star
9th and 7th, being to the right OF the planet
on the former and to the left on the latter
evening. .....
VENUS is still the bright morning star, and
though small on account OF her increasing
distance, she is very brilliant from the in
crcaSing portion Of her enlightened disc
turned towards us. She rises about hail.
past in the morning, and at the end OF the
month will rise about haf-past 4. The early
risers on the morning of the 25th will see 4
sight worth watching for, as the slender
waning crescent of the moon, Venus, and
Mercury are near together, and a more
beautiful planetary combination is seldom
visible.
MARS is of little account during the month,
being distant from the earth and near the
sun. On the 18th he reaches his superior
conjunction with the sun, rising and setting
with the great iuminary, and being invisible
to terrestrial observers. He forms then
straight line with the sun and earth, the
sun being in the centre and the planet at his
greatest distance from the earth, more than
one hundred and eighty millions OF miles
farther off than he was at his inferior con-
junction OF 1877, which ranks as one of the
astronomical epocbs OF the century. Mars
and the new moon are in conjunction on
the 26th, but, as both are invisible, the event
is OF little practical Importance. On the last
Of the m onth he will rise before the sun,
and ranks as morning star after his con-
junction with the sun on the 18th.
MERCURY is q morning star, rising at
present about O'Clock, and at hall past
on the last of the month. The swift-footed
planet figures largely on the celestial Annals
for the month. He is near Mars on the TIN;
in inferior conjunction with the sun on the
10th: stationary among the stars on the
7Sth, although it would appear rs II there
were no rest to his starry feet; In conlunc-
ton with the moon and Venus on the 18th,
and again with Venus on the 39tb. On the
25th. also, he reaches his greatest western
elopeation, and, strange to say, for the
fourth time this year, is at his least distance
from the sun on the same day. At this
date. and for few days before and after,
he NAV be seen in the morning north Of the
point where the sun rises.
TIE HARVEST Moon holds high place on
the September records, though ranking
only rs q secondary planet. She reachesth
full on the morning OF the 18th, and rises
for five evenings after with an average diff
ference OF only tWenty-three minutes in the
successive risings. Thus her fuli-orbed re-
dance seems to prolong the beautiful au-
tumnal days and throw over them q spell
that NO other season OF the year can exceed.
The husbandmen OF old believed that by &
divine Interpretation the days wee merci-
fully heightened to assist in the Ing. sthering
OF the harvest. Science explains he ap-
parent anomaly. but the ciearest col.Ypre-
hension OF the cause detracts not one ptutl-
Gle from the fascination and poetic enjoV-
ment that enshrine the nights radiant with
sifyery light over which the Harvest DON |,
rcigns as queen. Providence journal.