The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-08-14
Planets in August.

From the Providence Journal
VENUS is evening star, and eminently de-
serves the place of honor among the mystic
rious twinklers throughout the month, for
she dons her most beautiful garments, and
far outshines her sparkling peers in size and
radiant light. On the 10Th she reaches her
point of greatest brilliancy, and sharp Eyed
observers who know where to look may then
obtain glimpse OF her before the sun sets,
or watch the shadow she casts at night in
the absence Of the moon. There are two OF
these points in her career, this one occurring
thirty-six days before her inferior conjune-
ton and the other occurring in October,
thirty-six days after it. Viewed through
the telescope, she now presents the phase OF
a waning crescent, but, owing to her near
ness to the earth, her apparent diameter is
nearly six times as great as when she is far
thest off, Venus sets now about o'clock.
Her rapid approach to the sun night after
night will be evident to the most casual OBJ
server, as will be her rapid increase in brill
liancy until the 10Th, after which she will be
so near the sun as to be quickly hidden by
his bright rays. AT the end OF the month
she will set about Z, only half an hour after
the sun, and then for nearly year the
Queen of Stars will be missed from the west
ern sky.
JUPITER deserves to be ranked with the
evening stars, although the calendes does
not give him place there until the last day
of the month. He comes into opposition
with the sun on the 31st, and is then at his
most brilliant point to terrestrial view, be-
ing more than one hundred and eight mil
lions of miles nearer to us than when fur
thest off. The earth is between the sun and
Jupiter, and as the planets position in the
heavens is then opposite the sun, he is said
to be in opposition. Thus the two largest
and brightest planets Of the system will
reach their eliminating points during the
month, and observers will not fail to enjoy
as we'll as contrast the softened radiance OF
Venus in the west with the brighter glow OF
Jupiter in the east. He rises now at quar-
ter before O'Clock on the last day Of the
month, just aS the sun set, about half-past y.
SATURN is morning star. He has DEPART
ed from his close companionship with Mars,
and may be easily recognized in the south
east by his peculiar dull yellow tut and the
absence of any other bright stars from his
vicinity. He rises now about 10 O'Clock,
nearly an hour and a half afte Jupiter; at
the end of the month he rises not long after 8.
MARS is morning star, and noticeable for
his increasing size and more ruddy light as
he approaches opposition, and the possible
discovery Of more moons. to add to the lau-
rels that crown the brows of the astronomers
of the nineteenth century. He rises now
about IL; at the end of the month about
half-past 8.
MERCURY is evening star until the 23d,
when he comes into inferior conjunction
with the sun, and commences his short role
as morning star. He is of little account to
observers, as he keeps too near the sun to be
visible, unless it may be for week in the
early part OF the month, when he may pos
sibly be picked up soon after sunset il the
sky is cloudless and the atmosphere clear.
URANUS is evening star until the 2Sth,
when he comes into conjunction with the
sun, after which he shines among the morn
ing stars. He sets now about s, but is too
far away to be seen by the naked eye. After
bis conjunction he rises before the sun.
The month OF August is honored by the
advent of two full moons-one on the I'd
and one on the 31st. The waning moon is
near Jupiter on the 4th, Saturn on the 18th,
| and Mars ON the 9th. The new moon of the
| 18th is in conjunction with Mercury and
Uranus when one day cid, but they are all
, too near the sun to be visible to observers on