The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-10-09
Planets in October.

With the exception of the first four days, land
t is his turn to hold the place Of honor
among the planetary brotherhood. He comes
nto opposition with the sun on the 9Th, when
he sun, earth, and planet are in the same
traight line with the earth iE the centre.
De is therefore at his nearest point of ap-
,roach, and takes on his brightest hue and
argest dimensions. Even now he is more
han eight hundred million miles away, and,
It such an Immense distance, the difference
between his greatest and least brillancy is
not large in amount, though plainly percep-
tible. Thus his apparent diameter is now a
little more than twenty seconds of a degree
six months hence. when farthest from us, it |
will be about fourteen seconds of degree.
Venus, under the same conditions, measures
sixty two seconds at her least distance and
only nine and half at her greatest distance
Saturn rises now at G o'clock; on the 9Th, at
sunset, and on the 3lst, about o'clock. He
should be looked for at present in the east,
an hour or two after sunset, when sufficient.
ly high above the horizon to be easily de-
sected. and will be found considerably far
Their north than Jupiter and about two hours
behind him. His peculiar color of a dull
yellow, steady light,and the absence of large
stars in the neighborhood, will secure his rec
ignition as soon as the full moon is out of
the way. Observers who have access to tele-
scopes should improve the present opportu-
nifty for q sight of the most charming tele-
scopic object in the heavens. The rings un-
dergo variety Of changes during the thirty
years required for the planets revolution.
Just now they are apparently rings no long
er, but lines Of light projecting on each side
Of this golden ball of surprising loveliness,
while the beauty of the picture is increased
by as many of the eight moons as their posi-
ton and the power of the instrument can
summon in the field.
Jupiter is evening star, and so superb an
object in the evening sky that there is no
need to sound his praises or call attention to
the grand display he makes each night as
leader and king of the starry host. But he
is moving away from our vicinity; before the
month has passed his brightness will sensi-
bly, diminish, and at the end of the month
he W i'll sink below the horizon about l
O'Clock. leaving the field for lesser lights to
take their turn for being in the ascendant.
He rises now at half-past 4; at the end of
the month at half past ..
Mercury is evening star after the 9Th,
when be comes into superior conjunction
with the sun and sets at the same time. On
the 31st he sets at about half-past 5, only
half hour after the sun. He is invisible
throughout the month, and, safely hidden in
the SUMS rays, tracks his rapid course, Sc
cure from terrestrial vision.
Venus is morning star, land rapidly reaching
a distance from the sun that makes her the
object of supreme interest among the morn
ing stars. She now rises at quarter after
s, about three-quarters Of an hour before the
sun but in the latter part of the month she
will rise not long after 3, more than three
hours before the sun. On the 30th she reaches
that period of her greatest brilliancy, occur
ring thirty-six days after her inferior con-
junction. Early observers will then be re-
warded by sight Of the largest and most
beautiful member OF our planetary system in
her most beaming phase. Those who desire
to watch her erratic movements will see, by
marking her course among the stars OF Leo,
that she is moving rapidly, as she Goes near
her counjunctions, and that her course is
retrogra6e or westward. She is seen now
through the telescope as waxing crescent,
resembling few-days' old moon; but though
only small portion of her illuminated disc
is turned towards us, her increased size
makes her appear brighter than when at her
superior conjunction nearly her whole en-
lightened orb is turned to the earth. There
is no better method of becoming familiar
with this planet than to follow her phases
from her present position just coming into
view after her inferior conjunction until she
comes around to the same point again. This
period is called her synodic revolution, and
is accomplished in five hundred and eighty
four days, or about twenty of our months,
during which time she is alternately morn
ing and evening star. Those who follow
her course in this way will find the study
one of exceeding interest and the crisp De-
ober mornings a delightful season for
making the effort.
MARS is morning star, and is rapidly TAX
lH1 vi pldSC tlldb W Ill LudAG Hill pIOm-
nent object of interest among the members
of the solar family. His rudy glow is as
Stunning more warlike proportions, his size
increases, and as he darts above the horizon
earlier each evening, he seems to beam with
cOnciOus pride as the time approaches
when he may present again to mortal vision
the tiny satellites that crowned his appear
ance at the opposition of 1877. The opposi-
ton occurring next month will not be as
favorable for observation Z; but the great
telescopes all over the world will be scan
ming his ruddy disc before this month ends,
and if it comes within the sphere of human
power, new discoveries will be made. Mars
rises now about in the evening; on the 3lst
at half-past s. He is in the constellation
Taurus, and his movements may be watched
by comparison with the Pleiades.
Uranus is morning star, rising now at half
past 3; at the close of the month at half
past l.. He is still too far away to be visible
to the naked eye, and of little account to
ordinary observers.
The October moon fulls on the 10Th. The
old moon is in conjunction with Mars on
the 18th. and the waning crescent and Venus
will form brilliant picture on the morning
sky of the 18th. The new moon of the 18th
will be in conjunction with Jupiter on the
Oath, with Saturn on the 2Sth, aud with
Mars on the 31st, two days after the full.
The planetary interest for the month cen
tres again around the movements of the
shining trio, Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars
On the moonless evenings during the mid
die Of the month they will be beautiful to
behold, marking out with golden points the
position of the ecliptic and gird!ing the
heavens. Jupiter will then be sinking to
the west with diminishing lustre. Saturn
moving overheard in his brightest phase,
and Mars rising in the east with an increas-