Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-08-12
TIE STARRY HEAVENS.
Movements of Planets In August.
Providence CR. ~ Journal, lst. !


among the mysterious 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 brillian-
cy, and sharp-eyed observers who
know where to look may then obtain
a 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 planets in her
career, this one occurring thirty-six
days before her inferior conjunction,
and the other occurring in October,
thirty-six days after it. Viewed
through the telescope, she now pre-
sents the phase of waning crescent,
but, owing to her nearness to the
earth, her apparent diameter is nearly
six times as great as when she is far
thest off. Venus sets now about 8
o'clock. Her rapid approach to the
sun night after night will be evident
to the most casual observer, as will be
her rapid increase in brilliancy 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 western sky.
Jupiter deserves to be ranked with
the evening stars, although the calen-
dar does not give him a place there
until the last day of the month. lie
comes into opposition with the sun on
the 3lst, and is then at his most bril-
liant point to terrestrial view, being
more than one hundred and eighty
millions of miles nearer to us than
when farthest off. The earth is be-
tween 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 well as contrast the soften.
ed radiance of Venus in the west with
the brighter glow of Jupiter in the
East. 1t must also be remembered
that our mighty brother planet is ap.
preaching his much dreaded periheli
on, reaching it next year in September
and that in the intervening period
and the two or more years succeeding
all manner of atmOspherical disturb
ances are to be expected. The vas
mass of Jupiter, when approaching
fifty millions of miles nearer to tn
great central luminary, must inevita
, bly, create a commotion among his in
caRdescent elements, and every dis
turbance in the sun is reflected to tn
remotest bound of the solar system
The men of science are therefor
watching the dawn of the eleven-yea
, period, and the inauspicious combina
tion of the perihelion passages o
the four great planets, with al
p, intensity Of interest proportione,
. to its importance, while Jupiter
, the superb star challenging ou
admiration throughout the month
is the chief sinner of the shining quar-
tet. He rises now at a quarter befor
8 o'clock; on the last day of tn
month, just as the sun sets, about hal
past six.
Saturn is morning star He has de
! parted from his close companionshi
with Mars, and may be easily recog
nized in the southeast by his peculia
= dull yellow tint, and the absence o
any other bright stars from his vicinity
He rises now about 10 o'clock, nearl
g an hour and half after Jupiter; a
, the end of the month he rises not lon
$ after 8 o'clock.
Mars is morning star, and noticabl
for his increasing size and more rudd
light as he approaches opposition an
> the possible discovery of more moons
to add to the laurels that crow
the brows of the astronomers O
n the nineteenth century. He rise
now about II o'clock at the end {
the month about $3.50.
= Mercury is an evening star until tn
n 23d, when he comes into inferior cor
a junction with the sun, and commence
his short role as morning star. He
of little account to observers, as h
keeps too near the sun to be visible
+ unless it may be for week in tn
e early part of the month, when he ma
possibly be picked up soon after sur
=, set, if the sky is cloudless and tn
atmosphere clear.
Uranus is evening star until tn
a 2Sth, when he comes into conjunctio
with the sun, after which he shine
among the morning stars. He sci
now about s o'clock, but is too ia
away to be seen by the naked ey
8 After bis conjunction he rises befor
the sun.
: The month Of August is honored b
the advent of two full moons, one o
= the I'd and one on the 3lst. Th
u waning moon is near Jupiter on tn
g 4th, Saturn on the 7th, and Mars o
the 9th. The new moon of the 1T
! is in conjunction with Mercury an
u Uranus when one day old, but the
a are all too near the sun to be visibl
e to observers on this planet. III
o moon is very near Venus on the 20tl
and if the clouds are kind our love-
celestial neighbors will present an &C
ditional attraction, for it is positivel
n their last appearance together f
n many months. The moon and Jupitt
q are in conjunction on the Both, Oh
! day before the full.
n Thus the skies of the soft sun
is mer nights will be full of intere
lf for human oberservation. Two flu
q moons will shed their rounded rad
,, ance over the sleeping earth, and floc
the landscane ana seasaape with 81