The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-08-05
An elegant Article OH the Planets
In August.


jupiter still remains lord of the ascen-
dant, the bright and peerless evening star.
rising now before sunset and being the most
conspicuous object among the starry throng
throughout the month. No observer who
casts his eyes upward to the southeastern
sky in the early evening can fail to recog-
| nize this regal planet, for he reigns alone,
no bright star coming near his path. All
through the night be beams with starry
| light, dipping his radiant disc below the
| western horizon shortly before the sun ap-
pears rejoicing in the east. His track can
be easily followed by remembering that be
rises four minutes earlier every evening, and
that at the end OF the month he will rise two
hours earlier than at the commencement,
setting not far from 2 O'Clock. The night
of the 18th will witness brilliant picture
on his monthly record; he is then in con-
| junction with the moon the day before the
full, and the nearly rounded orb and BEAM
ing star will form scene which, though
oft-repeated on the celestial background,
never ceases to delight the eye Of the appre-
ciatiye star-gazer. His lustre is slowly IA
ding, for he passed his period OF greatest
briiliancy at his opposition on the 18th OF
july, and this giant member OF the solar
brotherhood is now speeding on bis course
farther and farther away from the terrestrial
+.
domains.
Mars is still classed with the evening
stars. but is too near the sun to be visible
during the month, and will be OF little con-
sequence in the planetary world for some
months to come, reaching bis conjunction
with the sun on the 18th OF September. He
is near Uranus on the 7th.
Saturn, though counted as morning
star until his opposition on the 22d OF Sep
tember, is fast becoming an object OF eve
ming interest. We watched his rising over
the eastern hills few evenings since short
" after 10 O'Clock. First came little trem-
uIous glimmering among the evergreen
shrubs on the hil-summit, and then came
the planet scintillating gently and quickly
subsidng into the pale, dingy color and Sc
we're dignity marking the personality Of the
plant Saturn. There Was superb array
OF starry glory in the region around.
Meteors were falling in all directions, amid
the solemn stiffness of the night, the north
ern consultations were glittering like gems
of many hues, and in the clear atmosphere
the stars lit up the sky with wonderful
light, as if they were shining on another
sphere to which Jupiter and Saturn played
the part of young moons. Saturn rises now
about half-past nine, and at the end OF the
month will rise about half-past seven. He
can easily be recognized, rising farther
north than Jupiter, and, like bis brother
planet, having no stars OF note in. his imme-
diate vicinity.
Venus still remains the radiant star OF
the morning, and comes, gently tripping
above the eastern hills before the morning
light is breaking. She is travelling far
away from us, and approaching her supe..
rior conjunction with the sun on the 9th OF
| ,Ft n oiah y1var bnnp hnJ
peerless light to iIlumiue the long winter
evenings. II such scene as is presented
every morning to the eye that now antici-
pates the dawn were rare celestial phe-
nomenon, astronomers would travel ball
over the world to see the sight and then feel
that the half had not been told them; fol
what more beautiful and glowing picture
is recorded on astronomical annals than
that of the fairest of the stars heralding the
breaking of the day, while the first rosy
tints of the coming sunrise gleam on the
horizons verge in the serene summer morn
ing? >.
tie worthy OF reco"d. In his swift revolution
round the sun he reaches his greatest east
ern elongation on the 18th, but his comlnSs
and goings are invisible to terrestrial OBJ
servers, excepting those with bright OF
practiced eyes, who may then have the goot
fortune to catch glimpse Of the star thai
loves hest to hide his beams within The
eclipsing range OF the all-powerful SUM-.
The moon plays prominent part on the
August records. Crowned at the commence
ment of her course with the honor OF giving
a portion OF the world sight Of that grant
phenomenon, total solar eclipse, she mod
estly goes on her way, waxing from the
tiny silver crescent gracing the first even
ings Of the month to her conf JUNCTION witt
Jupiter on the 11th. On the next evening
at her full, she treats the world to another
scene, for she rises partially eclipsed, ant
remains sborn of q portion OF her full
orbed beauty till nearly 8 O'Clock. Thus
we have solar and lunar eclipse withir
fortnight of each other. The waning
+ moon is also in conjunction with the three
; planets. Mars, Uranus, and Mercury, a da!
or two before her course is ended.
a The August meteors must not be forgot
e ten among events OF celestial interest. Th'
I earth ploughs her way through the Angus
e meteor-zone on the 10th, and on that nlght
, and those before and after, myriads OF me
! teors will descend through the atmospher,
in fiery tears. The constellation Perseus
in the northeast, is the radiant point to-
these meteors, aud this is the most favorable
j., part OF the heavens for keeping watch
! though the anomalous cosmical atoms ar
prone to mark their shining way in ever!
quarter of the sky.
CunwATISG THE SMALL GRAINs.-Th
Columbus (Ga.) Repaaican OF recen
D, date tells OF an interesting experiment MAD.
by Bartholomew county farmer, Ehlcl
suggests some ideas that aay prove OF grea
value to Farmers il carried out in practice
To test theory in regard to grain-culture b.
:. planted ngle seed OF barley in bis gardel
and culfixased the plant as he would kav.