The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-04-09
Providence Journal
Planets In ADriJ.

Venus still holds her state as Quesn of the
starry host in the early evening sky, appe airing
soon after the sun has sunk below the horizon.
She is coming rapidly toward us, as any obsery-
ei may note By her greater height above the
horizon and the later time of her disappear
ance beneath it, During the early part Of the
month she sets about nine O'Clock; during the
latter part not far from ten. On the 24th,
Venus is in conjunction with the new moon of
the 21st, and as the clouds have hidden the
similar phenomena for the last two months,
observers may hope this time for sight of
the beautiful celestial picture formed by the
moons silver crescent in near proximity 10 the
fairest of the stars An ordinary telescope
shows that only portion of the illuminated
disc OF Venus Is now turned toward the earth,
presenting the phase which the moon takes on
between the full and the last quarter; further
observation will show that the waning process
will continue till the 23d of September, the time
of her inferior conjunction, when her whole
dark side is turned toward us, as in our new
moon. The seeming anomaly that she appears
larger and brighter as her enlightened disc de-
creases is easily explained by her proximity,
which more than makes up for the deficiency
OF light. At her nearest approach, twenty-five
millions of miles from the earth, her appareut
diameter is six and half times as great as
when at her greatest distance, one hundred ard
visible, when at the nearest point, we should
see an evening star glorious beyond description
Calico first noticed the phases Of Venus in
1910. Not daring to announce his discovery
until confirmed by farther Obse walton, and
fearing lest some one else might anticipate him
he published the following aRagram in which it
was ingenously hidden:
"These unripe things are now vainly gathered by
me-"
he afterwards transposed the letters into
these words:-
"The mother Ct the loves initiates the phases of
Cynthia"
Mercury is evening star until the 17th, when
be comes into inferior conjunction, passing be-
tween US and the sun, after which he COM
| mences bis short role of morning star. He will
still be visible during the first week of the
| month, setting now about eight o'clock little
| south of the point where Venus sets and not
| far from her, as there is but three-quarters of
an hours time between the setting of the two
| planets The best time to look for Mercury is
| about three-9uarters of an hour after sunset,
| when he may he seen shining with brilliant
| white light resembling Sirius, but not as bright.
| He comes into conjunction with the waning
| moon on the morning of tie 20tb, but moon
| and planet are so near the sun that mortal
| vision cannot detect them amid the bazs of
| solar light.
Uranus closes the list of evening stars. He
| is still pursuing his slow course among the
stars OF Leo, and may be found on the last of the
1
best time for observations is on the first of the
| month, about half-past niue, when the planet
reaches the meridian on the last of the month,
| he comes to the meridian at half-past seven.
Jupiter is a brilliant morning star, rising now
at quarter after four, and, at the end Of the
| month. at half past two, more than two hours
| before sunrise. lie must be looked for in the
southeast before the morning dawn, and will
be quickly recognized as faciie princeps among
the starry throng. On the 10th he will be in
| cObJuCtlOn with the waning moon.
Mars is morning star, but this is not field
| day in his history for though be rises now at
half past three, be is so far south and so insig-
nifcant in size and brightness as to attract lit
tie attention during the month. His turn will
come next November at his opposition, when
he will be the object of chief interest, astrono-
mers vying with each other 10 the hope of dis
covering more moons, or in the pleasure of
welcoming the return of Deimos and Phobos
to the region of terrestrial visibility.
Saturn is morning star, but too near the sun
to be seen at present. On the last Of the month
he rises at four, and as he is farther north than
the other planets, may possibly be found by a
practiced eye.
The April moon fulls on the 9Th, and holds
the highest honor of the lunar year, for she
represents the first full moon after the vernal
equinox. thus determining the time Of the
Easter festival consequently ruling the other
movable feasts ard fasts of the Church, and
Indirectly exerting an influence on mundane
affairs which can no more be measured than
the COUNTLESS events that await the advent of
the festival can be calculated, or their bearing
on the conseq quent experience of human life be
foreseen. The waning moon comes near to
Mars on the 18th. Jupiter on the 16 h., Saturn
on the 10Th, and Mercury on the 20lh. The new
moon of the 2lst is near Neptune on the 22d,
and Venus on the Oath.
There is during this month o rather unusual
prepoDderaDce OF morning stars. If an Observ-
er on the earth had power to pierce the solar
blaze, he would see at sunrise on the last day
Of the month Mars farthest from the sun,
glimmering low down in the south
morning group, ap then Oslgn1s' sstnrn. Just free
from the encircliug solar halo; Mercury
swiftly moving within the blazing light, and,
last OF all, distant Neptune, feebly shining be-
yond the sun. An evening view under the
same condItioOs would bring out Venus bsam-
ing with transcendent lostre, and Uranus,
faintest of the planets visible to ordinary eye
sight. not far AWAY from the starry queen.