Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1880-05-06
Planets in May.

oupi'er Is m0CnlEg star, end by lar the mos!
important office, for Oasarvltion among tie
planets durirg the mouth. 1t clnnot be loo
strongly Impressed upon tho minds of students
OF the stsri that the four great planets gro all
approaching their perihelle, and biieging abou;
4 condition OF planetary sfflirs that Las Eot &C.
CURED fOr J. 600 ysars. Jupiter reaches the
coal Erst. slrlVitg at oerlheion on tho 25,h Ct
Sentcuber. Such is tho eec.ntrici.y CT his
orbit that he will then be forty six millions OF
niles, or about hall Ct tho whole distarce Of the
nGrth itcln ,ic san, htarGr 10 tho great c,nIra
6rc than when tSrthc ST away. iio il si50 at tha;
nrac $lncs. "t his necrest point 10 tho eki!h
c m,pg ilto npDosi,icn with tho sun cicveo
dsys after pClihciiGu. Ehe earth is thnu Gi-
reoti} between sin AID he SUP; bat tic car,n
Is is!hest lr3ui tho sio 10 July. aud will be a.
considerably DUtG tas2 her mcsn diie0co ir
S,p,emo27, Whta Jupiter $ forty aix inioa
ni2s oaHtoT. Ii MAJ easily b. seeg thai waop
al opposition &c oar!i is a. CT near her gr2s,-
Hs' distance aid Jupiter ct his least Gi5taoce
!tO1l !to sua. tho tWo planets ~iil bn almost as
scar tfgether us tie? eau be. Suci will
be tho casa ntxs OytobGr. and the
giant OF the system will scon give
nvlderc, Of Ihe fact 10 hia increasing
s'2' ard brlliaucy, berg brighter than he
has been Tor DcGriy Twelve yeals The dif
fcrclc vii! not be so marked IS in the case Of
Mas under TIC Sane c)ndtioDs, for nearly four
hurdrrG million miles of snaco intervene be.
tween tho earth and the huge planet even when
nearest. Jupiter, therefore, will be source
OF Intense inierts; duriog tho coming months ss
no approaches and reosdcs from his perihellon
end opposition. The great problem Of tho foct Ct
his approach uron tho mysterious spot period
oil the suu will be first 10 importance. Many
astronomers spOut tho idea ofsuca an influence.
hlary molc lied notbiog improbable 10 tho
theory that The apir0pcd OF hugo mass to the
aun should produce d!sturbaLc1 10 his bIszing
element, tvidcully In commotion from some
| osus3, while the ocar correspondence 10 time
between the maximum OF tho spot period and
he revolution of Jupiter favors tho argument.
n } one doubts that the disturbed condition of
The sun will be rlh:c:cd on the earth 10 waves
OF Intense heat, severe storms, and auroral dis
plsys, or that the Same il Alencs ail be felt iu
| tic sane wsy to tho systems rcmotest Bounds.
Gigantic Jupiter, IS his mg ghty mass plupgcs
| towards the suu. giScs evidence OF mighty
| forces at work among tho chaotic elements O!
| his cloud surface. A spot has boon seen on his
di for nearly year, elliptical 10 form. red 10
| color, apd with diamstor Of twenty thousand
miles. No observer understands tho caus, Of
| this huge rlt. 1t may be aa opening 10 the
cloud atmosphere disclosing tho moro solid
matter beneath, and it may b, something be.
yCud the human ken. About The 22l it is
hoped that the planet vii! be again in favorable
position for tho observation of tho red spot, and
patient investigators will not bs waEtiug TO
mske tho best OF the opportunity. This beau.
| tiiu planet may DOW be seen 10 the eastern sky,
sore noly unconscious OF the excitement Induced
| by his movement. rising quarter b, tiro four !;
| at the end CG the mouth he rises at two, nearly
Two hours and halt before tho SUI.
| Sltura Is cVchlug stcr. bur no special Interest
| is att? ?chcd to lis movements during he month
exc; ptipg On the ls;, when Saturn, Venus and
| Mercury rise Withlo few minutts Of eac,
others about NO hour before suorse. Vorus be
ics tho brightest nnd faritcst north, tuly one
degree from Saiurn, This plarct iiscH as pres
cat about a q9ar;Cr alter t ; at tho oui OF tho
! El0aLh ct hct PCS. two, halt aa hour after
! Jupitcr.
| VcrEs Is Mfrcirg star, aid though ss nearly
haC greatest distaEcH from the carih, ard 1!-iDe
only ahop: i:sli an hour before tho sun, is a
| charming oil C! 10 behold IA tho pleasant Ma
rno.niaGs %, trc2u!out With brightness, sho
eicams 10 lie rCs7 glow that hcrslts tic bear
| RtjtHHOl Ol tNC Slt'. hcilS liSSS DuH I'll OUNub
quarter alter i; at the close of The month few
;Giautts hciers 4, keegios at usarIs ;hc same
Giaispc, from The suo.
| Meleury IS morning star Throughout The
u1Dtb, though stycy The Erei lew days Invisible.
! SO is OF bis nearest point TO Saturn OF the 9th,
ard to Vonu7 On the i9.h. lilo risca about a
! 1iarttr ait,, 4 on lho It. end about laif after
| 4 rn the %ls-
Nertune is morning star ait5r the p! when
| he mes into CO, Iupctioa with the sun. He is
in clos, cor juncuon with Mercury ard gear
! Vcuus on tho lSih. As ho travels On the sys-
ten ) EXTREMIST vsrge, aud is DOW more than
iweniF ght huoGrod million miles aGuy, t,r
rcst.ial observers will not BE- much visor icr at
tempting to trace his movcmcns.
Nlsrs is evening air, aud still holds the fonor
cf being the olly planet visible ia mo oveniug.
III shiccs in diminishing glory among tho stars
of Gcu.iai, aud is oct far from Castor the lead
iug trilii.nt Of that C, I'D elalJu. on the 18th.
He is s. far eHaY, and bis ferg rays haze be-
come 50 dim, that he is not Of much account
snaug HE bretbreo. He Rets Dow q quarter Of
al hcur before nIdD!gh': 81 the end Of the
month about |.
Uranus is eveniGgstar and travelling far awsy
from visibility. though still very near the star
RIO Leoais, Be riaes now about one; at the ond
OF the moLth about ii.
The Nay moon iuls on tho:4 h. The wsnir 9
moon pays her respects 20 no leas than five Of thc
panats-lo jupiter on The 9th, to Mercury
Venus, and Saturn on the TIN. and 80 Neptune
on lhn 3th The new moon tf the V.h i. nes.
Il srs on the 18Th, and near Uranus on :he lSsn
! .ka day hlLer Ger fret quarter.
Tho feature OF the month is the unueual mum.
Der OF planets doing duty as morning atnrs. ia
pitsr, Saturn, Venus. Mercury, and Neptune
form the shining quintette that sing together nj
they wait the coming OF the sun. Ifm0rtsl ears
ere not turned to hear the music of the morning
aisrs. mortal eyes viii enjoy rare pictures on th'
celestial canvas during he mild May mornings
, Venus, Saturn, and Mercury rise within fes
minutes of each other on the Let The loveies
| nictnrn of The month il nnrnllad ON tha TLh 20