Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1879-01-04
Mars-wirl not attract much attention

Mdrs-Will not attract much attention
from naked eye observers in 1879. From his
conjunction with the sun last September COY
to his opposition Nov. 12, next, he is morn
ing star, rising before the sun; and, at the
last-named date, his nearest approach, he will
be some 46, ,000, 900 miles from the earth. He
will, however, be watched by astronomers in
November with great interest. His two
moons, discovered by Asaph Hall in 1877, will
probably be visible only through very few
telescopes, including the one at Chicago; and
the observations then made will enable as
tronomers to fix precisely the periods OF revo-
luton of the satellites, and thence to correct
the present estimate of the planet Mars
about one part in 3,095, 300, that OF the sun
| being taken as the unit. In January, Mars
will pass through Scorpio. in February and
March through Sagittarius and Capricornus,
in April and May through Aquaries, in July
through Pisces, in August through Aries; and
he will be nearly stationary, not far from the
Pleiades, in September and October. He will
| then retrogade into Aries till Dec. 49, and then
| turn direct. May 9 he will be less than one
| degree south from Jupiter; and June 30, at
In. 36m. p. m, only one minute OF arc north
| from Saturn. These two planets will be very
nearly in conjunction during the night pre-
| ceding and that following this date. In the
| morning of Nov. 10 he will pass only 12
| in the evening of Nov 20 will be only / min
| ute of arc south from Rho prime in the same
| constellation. Mars will be near the moon in
the evenings of Sept. 6, Oct. 4, Oct. 30, Nov;
observer may learn to recognize him among
| the stars.
Jupiter-Win be in conjunction with the
sun Feb. 2, and in opposition Aug. 81. Hence
| he will not be an object of interest to those
| who only study the evening sky, till the latter
part of the Year. During the autumn months
he will be conspicuous in the constellation
| Aquaries, about 10 deg. south from the five
| stars known as the Urn, or the q. This
| planet is now nearing his conjunction with
Saturn, which will occur in the last half OF
| April, 1881; both being in conjunction with
the sun, as seen from the earth.
Nov. 20 Jupiter will pass 10 minutes Of arc
south of Sigma in Aouaries; the apparent dis
tance between the two being only about two
diameters of Jupiter.
iSaturn-At the beginning of the year will
| be about hours east from the sun, and below
the well-known Square of Pegasus, near which
he meets Venus, in the evening OF March 2.
His conjunction with the sun occurs March
26, and his opposition Oct 5, when he will be
in the constellation Pisces. The last three
months of the year he will be visible evenings
to the naked eye as star OF the hrst magni.
tude, and will be very interesting object
through the telescope. His rings were COM
pletely closed up last March. They are now
widening out The ratio of the apparent axes
Jan. will be to 25 nearly, and the LIST OF
August about as to IL. We are now looking
at the southern side OF the ring system OF
Saturn, when we see this phenomenon. AS
tronomers will not again see the northern face
of the rings of Saturn till early in the year
1S93 when they will have good opportunity
to observe the change, as the planet Will then
be about 80 degrees away from the sun.
Uranus-Win be in opposition to the sun
Feb. 20, and may be seen about that date, and
for couple of months afterward, with the
unaided eye, by those who know where to
look for him. He shines as star of the sixth
magnitude only. He may easily be found az
follows: Take as q starting-point the well
known star Regulus, of the 113th magnitude,
in the handle OF the sickle of Leo. From that
| sto eastward in line toward SD1ca,
Is Rho 1eonis, of the fourth magnitude-easi-
| ly picked up, because there are no other stars
near it. At the beginning of March Uranus
will be 3 deg nearly northwest from Rho; ano
at the end Of the month little more than
deg northwest ny west from the same star
These two distances are respectively equal tc
about 81 and eight times the apparent
breadth of the full moon.
Neptune-Will be in opposition to the sur
Nov. 3, at which time his right ascension VII
be hours 35H min., and his declination Il
deg. 161z min. north; not near any prominent
star but very close to an interesting nebula
: He cannot be seen without the aid OF good
!! telescope.
l Oceultations-A few of these phenomen'
, will be of interest during the coming year
/ We give the following notes OF prominen
stars, the appulses to which may be watched
with interest through an opera-glass:
I, April 10, in the early morning, the mooI
g being three days past the full, and little eas
} of the meridian, will pass just south OF An
p tares.
June 8, about ten O'Clock, when east OF tn
: meridian, and near the full, the moon will oc
1 cult Antares.
9 Aug. "a, the moon in the west, and near he
, first quarter, will occult Antares ABOUT nan
past nine in the evening.
Sept. z, at two O'Clock in the morning, tn
moon being near her last quarter, will pas
through the Pleiades, and occult Alcyone nea
the time OF her rising.
Nov. 26, about midnight, the moon bein
near the full and one hour west OF the mt
j ridian, will occult Epsilon Arietis.
Z Dec I, at eleven o'clock in the evening, tn
moon being east of the meridian, and a litti
= past the full, will occult Delta Geminorum.-
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