Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-11-08
E'iaEets In November.

Mars IS evening star after the 18th and holds
tie place Of honor among the members of the
solar family throughout the month. A great
event takes place Oh bis ricords. His opposi-
tlon occurs on Tic I2Lt, and never was this
celestial phenomenon anticipated with suob
eager ictagest, for tho opposition of 1877 was
tho epoch ct enc Of tho greatest astronomical
! dls'oyellts ct tho present century. Two tiny
satellites were found tracking their rapid course
| Tlthle tho glare OF light surrounding this ruddy
| planet, ard who knows if closer observation
| may net reveal as many more, and some new
dscoyeTer share the honor with Prof. Hall :?
The hlartlan moons, though lste 10 tho field.
arc now members Of the solar system in full
standing. They are named from the horses
that drew the chariot of Mars, pcrsoni6ed by
Homer 10 t5e lIlad as his son or attendants.
Tbs Gane OF the outer satellite Defines. Ii re,
wolves around tho primary ip about thirty honrs
at q distance Ct Il 500 miles from the contrs of
| the planet; its diameter is very small, probably
between tlS end fourteen miles, aud it is Of
about the thirteenth magnitude. The inner
| tttc IS koowa as Phobos; it is The brighter
| apd larger ot III, two, b9ng about the tGelfth
| magnitude and mile or two moro ia diamtcr
than its brother nooR. 1t performs it's rcvolu.
ton 70 the surp:is!0gly shGrt timo of
Ilttlo !A2:o than eo7cp hours and hgf,
81 distance Of rc4Tlg 6,GG0 miles from
! the planets centre. Thus tho Marian in
h&6iGDts have :! nocl Gny 1000 niles
dlstaGt. making more than three cOmplete re-
go!ut0a5 w:iic tho planet is turning On lila axis,
| rising Iii iha west s.nd setting in The cast, and
raco,iDg and passing tho slower moving outer
mo9c. The Marian as;romcr5 must have
plenty ct occupation il watching tho erratic
| moVop!oDl3 citta!r dearest celestial ncighbors.
but VIC 'GGuid 10; change our stately nud drui
| fed satellite itr @ d%%:c such lust like tho,n
Mars IS no: as Gcar 10 Ill At lho present on
position aa he WAS in 1877, but as ho is Ia
ncrthcrn dccIina:ian he will be more favorably
oituatad or observation. Professor Hall gives
Ito tiE,o from the 10th Of G;tober 10 tho 2Oth
c! November MS the period 10 which tho sstel,
| ilt2H may be visible, but G European observer
! has already succeeded 10 pickiog u3 DEMOS
! on 'he "a OF Sept. Tho boss telescopes aI. over
| tho world arc now concentrating tter highest
power on the brilliant evening s!sr shiui9g so
brightly IN the castcrn sky. All that human
effort car accomplish will be done, who prsc-
locG cyts er1 patient observation will reveal
nli that cal &c learned OF tho moons of Mars.
nn The l!7st OF the month the planet rises at
half past ii7e, oa tho twoIth ct sunset, and on
the last OF the month about thrco o'cl )ck Mars
| IL no:2 N !is best position for observation,
| dar;iGa abGYG Tho cas- era horZJa shortly altcr
! Ihc sun sinks ho!oW the western, and reach.
| iug The meridian soon after midnight o. an alti-
| udc OF nearly seventy Gcer9cA. Above him
! beams !ha Io7oly cluster Of tho Pleialas, and
| bolos him ahinos bright hldobarap, prominent
rcd star AMI the lcauing brilliant of tho Hyades.
Sstura is o7otiag star, but his pale lustr, is
Diminishing IS he appTo5ch tho suu and in,
crssseS his disatc, ircm us. He is still an OBJ.
| 3c5 OF latcrc5t, hoWavcr, 10 the evening sky,
| as he rlacs slnwiy toward the z3nith, between
| Jupiter aud Mars, his dull tint being over
sha2owea ty lilo golden glow of tho ono and
tho Fuddy hue Of the other lilo is OF present
beautiful o'iaat Tor tcloScopio observation,
fer bis rings ere slowly opcrisg and tho spaces
| between thsm aud tho plaaet lr3 clearly yisi.
bic. The rings, tho bel,cd disk, and the beam.
| !pg moons make up picture Of UNSURPASSED
lovcliacEs in the grand celestial piculc gallery.
| Saturn uCT rises hbout four and sets about
| four 10 tho morline. At the clos, Of the month
| he will Ilao nearly at two, end set at two the
ncx> pornrg
! Jupiter is c7calag star, and though lovely
! to tehold, hs glory ia WaolDe; but those who
| nave watched bis brighter curse 10 tho east
| orn heayens for tho last two mouths, will be
Interested to tra,c his waning Glory, as during
| this month he tracks his course in the west,
% the Goth he is IL quaGrature. or half way
botTocn opposition aud con unotiou with the
SUE. Lie sa;s DOW ab2ut !; at the eud Of the
month, about IL.
Mercury is evening star. reachiog his groat
est eastern clopgatiop on tho 20h. As this is
one OF tho f5ur periods during the year
when he is !aVo5aby situated fer obs:rva-
tIcn Us an evening star, very bright eyes
may possibly catch a sight Of him about
that time, soon after sunset and not far
from where the SUI Hcnt dove. The atmos.
phero must be exceptionally clsar aud the sky
cloudlsss to give chan3s OF SUCCESS. Mercury
sets now at helf past five {; ct the cud Of thu
month at oearIy the same limo. which, how
ever, will then be an hour Gfser suusct.
| Venus ID morning star, and will be splendid
object to bohoid throughout the morDlogs Of
November Though she has pesssd her period
Of greatest briiancy, she leads tho noroipg
Stars and anticipates the dawn as she travels
westward from the suo towards her greatest
elongaiioD. Consequently the rises earlier eac,
norripg, showing her glowing taos above the
horizon few mi5utes sf,cT three, moro than
three hours before sunrise. A. the close oil
The month she ris,a at tho sano time, which
will thel &c nearly four hours before suntise.
. All who csn COMMAND view of the eastern
horizep Till be amply rewarded fur the trouble
required in obtaining sight CT the fairess oil
the stare, as sac holds her court among the
starr; hosts an! tc;ad5 the bresking of tht
uorriog light and tho coniog Of the mi ,ssi,
i0mina7y thst will hido her lesser beams
: Utaous is morning snr. risivg at half pas
one. At the end Of The mouth ho rises at hai
past eleven. Ho is nov of little aco1uot to as
tronomics obserTers. IS be slowly makes hi
= way among the stsrs OF Lao. 1t takes hin
: seven years to pass through constellation, ant
/ eighty four TO complete revolution round tn
SUE. This planet vas discovered 10 l7Sl /,
HersohoI. who named it Georgium Sidus ,b
tst2r Of tho Georges Two lines from 40 anoeu