Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-03-07

4 Glorious Crown 10 BE Worn by the
Nocturnal Sky..lnteresting and Varied
Astronomical Events Which the Com.
ing Month Will Bring Forth.

During the month of February the
most careless observer of celestial seem
cry must have noticed the absence OF
one Of the shining glorieS Of the sky
the giant Jupiter, whose flaming torch
has for the past few months, with the
exception OF the moon, been the most
CONSPICUOUS object in the heavens. But
that the nocturnal sky may not be rob
bed by Jupiter's Disappearance of this
among its glittering splendors, Venus
makes her appearance and sheds her
brilliant light, which, during this month
and the several succeeding, win con-
stantly increase i'll magnifcence.
In March the starry heavens viii
wear y glorious crown. The contem-
plation of this ever moving panorama
of shining worlds must furnish never
firing subject of study to the Thought
full. How constant their shining, how
eternal their on-going! Wonder, in the
south, is the blazing Sirius, the lucida
of all the consultations, the Dog star Of
the Egyptians, the beacon of our win
ter nights, while 5000 years ago it was
the predominant star of autumn, and
5000 wears hence il will be the ruling
star of spring. This star resembles
our earth i'll many respects, the spec.
troscope detecting nearly dozen sub
stances with which we are here iami-
liar, and rs nearly all have been found
Ill our sun, the resemblance between
the two suns is very striking. This star
is moving from us about twenty miles
per second, and the time will probably
come when it will be one of the faintest
luminaries, and eventually, perhaps,
entirely disappear
Venus is now slowly approaching the
earth, and apparently receding from
the sun, her greatest elongation east ocs
curing the middle of July next, when
she will present, through the telescope,
q half-moon phase, while her present
phase is so largely gibbous as TO appear
nearly round. On the Sd she will be in
conjunction with the planet Saturn. AT
thelrnearest approach, which occurs ear
ly in the morning, they will be but q
little over Il apart, or about twice the
apparent diameter Of the sun. Venus
will be the brighter of the two, and the
farthest north.
appeared Mt disadvantage, not only
from his increased distance from the
earth, but, also, from having been inn
mersed in the zodiacal light, which,
during February and March, always
shines with maximum splendor. This
light stretches from the horizon to the
Pleadcs, and on some occasions it has
been family traced to the eastern hori-
zon. Its cause is a profound mystery
to astronomers. 1t appears to be of
nebulous origin, and extends from the
sun, which occupies its center, to II dis
lance considerably beyond the earth.
Its shape is lenticular, like that Of two
watch crystals placed together. From
distance equal to that of the stars,
and situated nerpendicularly to its
greatest diameter, it would appear rs n
nebulous star like that in Cepheus,
Orion, Eridanus, etc.
On the 9TH the moon will be in con-
junction with the three and one-hall
degrees south of Uranus in the constel.
lation of Leo.
Uranus is exeeilently placed for tele-
scopic observation, and for the benefit
Of those who may wish to find it, give
its position on the 18th, viz. Right rs.
cension, 10h., 14m.; declination north,
IL deg, Am, or l2m. in time west, and
deg, 5lm. north of fourth magni-
tude star called Rho Leonis.
On the Goth, Mt about sunset, the plane
of the earth's equator passed through
the suns center, or, III other words, the
sun, in its apparent journey northward
crosses the equinox, i'll common par.
lance called crossing the line" Az
that moment, north of the equator
winter ends and spring begins, and
south of the equator, summer ends and
autumn begins.
March 20, Mercury will be in peri
helion or nearest the sun. His orbit is
the most eccentric Of all the planets
amounting to one-tifth Of his mean dis.
lance from the sun, or equal TO 1850
600 miles, making the difference be
tween his perihelion and aphelion dis.
lance more than IA, 800 900 miles. This
variation of distance is alone sufficient
to produce one set Of seasons, aside
from that probably produced by the in
clination of his equator to the plane OF
his orbit, of which we know nothing
1t is owing TO his excessive eccentricity
that his elongations vary SO widely
from II mean value. On the 29th
he is at his greatest elon
CATION east NEARLY 10 degrees,
when another opportunity will occur fol
seeing him with the naked eye.
March and October, owing TO tho
shortness of twilight, are the best
months for catching view OF this shy
planet. Whenever maximum elonga
tum takes place in either Of these
months, he is not very difficult object
to find, ifa few precautions are observed
! see no reason, therefore, for believing
the unpublished statement that Copper.
meas. with all the efforts he could put
forth, was never able TO see him. This
story, probably, ought 70 be classified
with that Of the fall Of Newton's apple
and that Sirius was anciently red, and
of Gallleo's famous utterance. al
does move though"
Orion, the gem of the consultations
vii. be a resplendent object during the
month. Though the luster and con
fguration Of all the stars are slowly