Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-10-04
Space. u. '~. "". en-. , ,a
Planets In October.

| vertisers.
Planets In October.
Saturn ia evening star during the month,
| With tho exception of the first four days, and it
is his turn to hold the plscs of honor among
the planetary brotherhood. lie comes ioto
opposition with tn, sun on the 5;h, when the
sun, earth. and planet are 10 tho same straight
line. with the Garth 10 the csntre. H. Is
| therefore at bis nearts; point OF approach. aud
takes 90 bis brightest hu, aud largest dlmeu-
slons. Even now be IS more than eight hun
dred mil iou miles away and, at suoh 40 im.
nense distance, the diff reucs between bis
greatest aud least bril- lacey is not large 10
anocut. though plainly perospuble. Thus his
twenty sc ,ouds Of degree; six mont Is hence,
wien f,lthssJ from Us. it will b, about four e,u
| seconds OF degree. VeouI u ,dsr tho sam,
coudhl u.s. measures sixty Two sscoads at her
east ulla ZOE aad ouly nine and a half at her
| greatest di5;auce. Sa urn rises DOW at 6 clock;
on tho 5 n. ut sunset, aud nu the l,t, about
o'clock. He should b. ljOkAd fIr at pressot 10
the east, au hour or two at sun C., when
suthcen ly hilh above the ,riz 70 10 os easi
det.c ed. aud Wi be fuuud considerably farth.
| er uorth than Jupiter aod abuus w houns be-
nlud him. His pee llar oolor OF dull yell ~,
steady light, AMI the abscnC. Of large et.rs
10 the ueigbborhcol, Will cure his reoog-
| nltIon a. sJon IS tne tul moon is out of
the way. Oo.crvers who have ACCESS to
telescopes shouli improve the present op-
Dortuolty for sight Of tho moss charnog
elescoDc otiec: 10 the heaVers Tho rings
undergo vat!e'y OF chaog4s durins the thirty
years required for the planets r,v ,lution. lst
mi IN tI1 L.,
'ioes of light orc otiug 90 each eile # ttij
golden ball of surprising Iovei1ess, while tho
beauty of the picture is Increased by as many
O. the eight N m,ons as tnc,r position and the
p 'wer OF the Instrument oan slmmon into tho
6eld
jupiter is evening star. aud 30 superb 40 Oh
1ot 10 the evenir 6 ky that there Is DO need 10
souod his praises or call attention to the Grand
! display be makes each oight a. le e,der and kiog
of he starry host. But he is moving away
from our vlcibity Def r. the Ioth hos passed
his brightness will scnsibly duiaish, aud at tho
Ind Of tho mouth hs will sink below the hori-
! z 70 about l u'eoak, leaving the 6.d for lesser
lights 10 take their turn f,r being 10 the sscen-
d.ut. He ris,s now at half past four; OF the
end OF the III jnth at halt pa t8).
Mercury Is evening star after hs 5h, whcn
ne c,ues into superior oojunction With the s1u
| and s,is at the same time. Ga the 3l,U he sets
q; about haE-past five. olly half hour after
the suo. He IS Invisible ttrcu ,hout The mouth.
aud, safely hidden 10 the suo's rays, tracks his
rspid course, secure from terrestrial vision.
Venus is morning star, aud rapidly reaching
| distance trv Ii the suu that makes her the
object OF supreGo inters: amuug the morning
| stars. She Dow rises a. quarter altar five,
about threerqusrters ef au hour before the
san; but In the latter part OF Tho mouth
she will rise not Olg atlGc three, more
than three hours before the sln. Oa the
| 30:h she reaches that period Of her great.
est brl!lialcJ, occurring hirty SIX days after
| her inferior coOjuucioo. Early observer, Will
then be rewarded b; sight Of the laryfs. aud
| most beautiful member CT cur plsntsr7 system
| 10 her most bsaDlng phsss. Tnose who desire
| to watch her erra,lo moVtm!n:s will see. by
| marking her oourse among the s:srs of Leo,
that she is moving rapidly as she do:s near her
corr unc ions aud that her cou;ss i5 ratrogtads
ct eastward. She is seeo nov through the
| telescope as waxing crescent, ,,resenbling a few
days old mooD; bu; though only I'm all portion
Of her illuminated disc is turned towards US, her
increased size makes her sppear brighter than
when at her superior COZ 1noti0n nearly her
whole eUlighted trb is turued to the earth.-
THERE'S 90 better method Of becoming familiar
with this planet than to follow her phases from
her present position ust com,og iuto view after
her inferior oorj unolIon unil she comes around
to the sans point again. This peroid is oallsd
her synodlc revolution, AID is aouoml llishsd in
five hundred and tiShty four days, or abou.
twenty Of our months, during which time she
is alternately morning and eyeniog star. Those
| who follow her course 10 this way will hod tho
study one IF exceeding interest aud the crisp
Oc:ober mofIiogs delightful season fer maxi
ing The effort.
Mars is the morning star, and is rapidly taxi
ing 90 phase that Will make hlm Prominent
OH ,ot of interest em Iug tue members OF the
sosr faulty. HIS ruddy glow Is assuming more
warlike proportions. bis sz. Increases. and ss ne
d IT'S abave lho boiz 10 earlier each evening he
seems to beau will CONSCIOUS Dr'da as the tlme
| approaches when lie may present ag q n to mortal
vision the tiny safe lites th-t crowned his ap.
pesrance at the opposition of 1877 The opposi-
, lion occurring next month will 70. be as favor
able for obs -rvaiion; but The great telescopes
all over the world will DO scanning ms rudy
} disc bsfore this month ends, and II 1t comes
within tie sphere Of bumsn power, new cl:cov'
cries will be made Mars rises now about 8 in
The evening; on the 3lss at bslf past i've. He
. ! ia in the constellation Taurus, and ii, move
4 mebts may ce watched by comparison Wild tne
y Pleiades. :,
Uranus is tho morning star, rising now ST half
psst three; at the close ot the monlh at half past
:, one He is still too far away to be vibls to the
n naked eye, and of little account to ordinary OBJ
II sewers.
:. The October moon ful's on the 29sb. 1hs old
8, moon is in CONJUNCTION with Mars on the 4th
and the waning crescent and Venus will for N 9
y brilliant picture on the morning sky of the 10TH
c. 1hs new moon Of the 10Th will be IN co-]uhc
s tion with Jupiter on the Path, with Saturn OF
the 2Sih. ana with Mars on tbs 3lss, two day.
after the full.
- The planetary Interest for the month centre
ot assin AROUND the movements of the shining trio
70 Jupiter, Saturn and Msry On he moonies
IL evenings during ,he middle otthe month tne .e
- golden points the position OF the ecliptic an
at eirdlinx the heavens Jupiter will then be sinh
q. IN to the weAt with dim nlsbing lus.re, Sssur
Is. moviog overhead in Ii, brightest phase, an
Mars risiag in the east With au increaslng gio
of ruddY liRht-Propidsncs ,LQMrnah