The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-05-04

Jurrrxn Il moruinu star, and by Tar the
~,oef tmportsnt obiect yor observMdon
sssonr tie planets during che month
cannot be too strongly Impressed upo. Tue
mieds Of students Of the stars that tue sou'
great plauets are all approaching men peri,
EeIla, end bringing abDut = cc"ausc" VI
plauctary siFsirs that has not otcurFsu LOT
1000 years. Jupiter resches the zoe. n rn.s
arriving ct pcrtselion on the Io,n ~ ~
tembcr. Such Il the cccentriess5 "n ns
orbit that ne VIII then 1e iorty-s "a =.
Of uilcs, or about half o. the wn"s sr - !" 9Th" The
Of fhe earth from the san, nearer W III
ers~f central Gre than whea 1"t."ss.
s~sv. lie 4 also at thsx time ainsea y. n's
1890 mint q toe cnrth coming Hto oppo-
sS,;~,, risb the x,In <ievca days siteS per'he'
ssc~ The c1rtss IA then directly tetween
a." ..rd The sszs bat sbe earth " sarthest
go fbs sup IN July, and viii t< III con-
s IT, ,,ez,e sI,au her mean. distance IN
Sssscxa6er. ws,rn Jupiter Is f3rty.sf NH
H.. mlIes ueurxr. IL may easily ec seen
shst chen at sppositiou the earn Is AZ ..
s.ec~ her gres{esa distance and JuF'et ~
hsS teast t,istasce from abe sun, INC .wo
ri.nefs = m be ximost rs near togttnei 40
= ca be. Ssath Will be the case nvs.s s ~
soher. ana The eSant OF the system wiz sJu
riye cgjaeoce OF the fact tn DIS ihc ., rs
sixe and eriilianer, being or'su'e' n,s's Al.
bes been fer nearly twelve year. ,.s ..ase
- Mar rnS<r the came conditions, Tor near
=. s.-r hus,sarcd mHiion miles CT space inter-
49, netvreen the earth and the huge pishe,
800, when Dearest. Jupiter. therefore, VIII
-. = souree az intexsc interest during we
.s.,,i.,.r months as tc approaches anu r-
800 from tss perikelion ane opposl"on-
~rss .rest prohlem a. the effect OF us n.y.
LIZ ..oon tie mysterious spof-perlod OF
&c snn wiII be first IN importance. M'ny
ss,rcnor.xfs scout the IDEA 81 sucn a."
s,0nence. Mang more Gnd nothhng ,pp,o.
liable ia the tbeery that the appISaon a. a.
hinge mass 90 the sun sbouio proouoe u
furbance In his blazing ekments' esiue".v
an commotioa from some cause, wi's'e tue
near correspondenee in time between the
rsax.,num az the spot.peried and the sevo-
au,ion Of Jupiter fayois the argument. NO
",,s doubts that the disturbed condition OF
the sun will be reflected on the earih ~
wsves of intense heat, severe storms ahe
euroral djsplays. or that the same lphuencc
,r,,i no felt in the same way TO TIE system
remotest bounds. ss
G,caniic Jupiter, as bs mighty mass
p,ungfs towards the sun, gives evioehce VI
rigntv forces at work among the chaouc
n,an,e,,s ~ his eloud-suriace. A spot mas
hoec seen ON bis disc for nearly year,
o,l,nt;caI in form. red in color, and Win
d,amcter of twenty thousand miles. NO
observer understands the cause OF this huge
riff. II NAV be an opening In the cloud
atmosDhere disclosing the more seid matter
beneath. and It may be something beyond
human ken. About the 22d 1t Is hoped mat
the Dlanet will be again In favorable posi-.
t,on for the observation Of the red spot, ana
nntiept investigators will not be wanting 10
make the best OF the opportunity. 1nis
beautiful planet may now be seen ~ tne
eastern sky, serenely unconscious OF 'he
excitement induced by bis movements,
rising quarter before 4; at the enu OF Tue
month he rises at 2, nearly two hours ana
helf before the sun.
SATURN is evening star, but no special in
terest is attached to bis movements during
the month, excepting on the 1st, when
Saturn. Venus and Mercury rise within a
few minutes OF each other about an hour
before sunrise, Venus being the brightest
and farthest north, only one degree from
Saturn. This planet rises at present about
a quarter after 4 ut the end OF the month,
at balf-past 2, hall an hour after Jupiter.
VENUS Is morning star, and though at
nearly her greatest distance from the earth,
and rising only about half an bour before
the sun, Is q charming object to behold in
the pleasant May mornings, as. tremulous
with brightness, she CLEANS in The rosy
glow that heralds the near approach OF the
sun. She rises now at about quarter after
4: al the close of the month few minutes
before 4, keeping at nearly the same dis
lance from the sun.
MERCURY is morning star throughout the
month, though after the first few days in
visible. He Is al his nearest point to saturn
on the 9th, aud to Venus on the 10th. He
rises about quarter after on the LIST, and
about bali after on the 3lst.
NEPTUNE is morning star after the "a,
when he comes into conjunction Win tue
sun. He Is in close conjunction with Mer-
curry and near Venus on the 18th. AS he
travels on the systems EXTREMIST verge;
and is now more than twenty-eight hundred
million miles away, terrestrial observers
will not be much wiser for attempting TO
trace his movements.
MARS Is evening star, and still holds the
honor OF being the only planet visible In
the evening. He shines In diminishing
glory among the stars OF Gemini, aud is moi
far from Castor, the leading brilliant OF
that constellation, on the 10th. de Is so fal
away, and his fiery rays have become SO aim
that he Is not Of much account among bi'
brethren. He sets now u quarter OF an hour
before midnight; at the end OF the monii
about IL.
URANUS Is evening star and travelling fa
away from visibility. though still very nea
the star Rho Leonis. He rises now abou
/; at the end OF the mouth about IL.
The May moon fuls on the Path. Tn
waning moon pays her respects to no les
than five Of the planets--t0 Jupiter on tn
9Th, 10 Mercury, Venus, and Saturn on TIT
,tb, aud to Neptune on the 9Th. The new
moon OF the 9th is near Mars on the 13tl
aud near Upnus on the 18th, the day ate
her first quarter.
The feature OF the month Is the unusua
number If planets doing duty as morning
stars. Jupiter, Saturn. Venus, Mercury
and Neptune form the shining quintette tina
sing together ~ they wait the coming OF tn
sun. IL mortal ears are not tuned to heal
the music OF the morning stars. mortal eye
will enjoy rare pictures on the celestial can
vas during the mild May mornings. Venus
Saturn, anu Mercury rise within few min
utes Of each other on The LIST. The loveies
picture OF the month is unrolled on the 9TH
for the slender crescent ofthe waning moon
only two days before her change, Is then Il
close yiclnity TO the same shining THO
Throughout the winter Venus reigned alen
Mars. far asunder, xpanned the evening sky
NoG ztaey nfe all morning stars, groupe'
near esek other and near the sun. And We
such isstAe variety and simplicity OF the nc
Die science OF astronomy that an inteiiigen
child can comprehend the movements OF th
planets.
0bssyeFs OF the stars have enough to d
during the month In watching the move
ments lSsrclindicated, In studying the phase
a. -