The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1880-10-09
Planets In October.


{ his best and brightest position for oil
= scrvation through the month of Octo
Der, one Of the most favorable season
OF the year for enjoying the glory o
the slar-spangled armament. Tha
much dreaded epoch in hisrcvolutlOn
ms perlhelion, was safely passed on tn,
, 10Th OF September, and his vast bull
VIII sweep on In resisless course far
thcr and farther from the sun for 81,
years to come. Not till 1891 will Ii,
) appear again in his present size ant
Drllliancy. Therefore diiigent hcc,
shou q be paid to his superb appear
aice III the eastern sky, where, soor
as the sun has set and the short twi.
iiiSht fades, he reigns supreme among
Che tWinkling mysteries that form hi.
brilliant court. 1t is not nattering tc
human pride to feel that one-third OF
the inhabitants of the earth will have
passed away before our giant brother
completes another revolution around
the sun One the 7th, Jupiter lis in
opposition when he is at the nearest
point to the earth, the earth being
directly between him and the sun,
Thus he is now about one hundred and
eighty million miles nearer the earth
ana AT the same time nearly forty
six million miles nearer the sun
than when at his extreme distance
from each. The combination of the
two conditions makes him a glorious
object for planetary study. Observers
VINO have access to telescopes should
improve the opportunity to behold
nm i'll his present superb aspect, with
his moons, belts and ruddy spot, and
note the exquisite softness and deiicacy
OF his celestial coloring. Those who
cannot enjoy telescope view will
lind with Il good opera glass lovely
picture Of the planet and his moons,
the disk of the planet being plainly
visible, and the moons looking like
minute points Of gold on The azure
blackness of the sky. Whether
this great planet is pulling upon
the sun with disturbing force that
is perceptibly felt or not, it is
certain that an unusual commotion
exists in the great luminary. Elc-
mental warfare is still going on. Snow
four inches deep in II western State,
prevalent malaria in regions where it
has not before existed for many years,
an unusual magnetic and electric dis
turbanceS manifested in violent de-
Elections of the magnetic needle, and
brilliant Auroral displays, are some of
the recent forms in which the storm
agitatcd surface Of the sun has found
expression in terrestrial territory Me-
tcors of unusual size, duration and
dazzling brilliancy are also to be rank
Ell with the phenomena Of the season.
The face OF the sun is still darkencd
with spots of great numbers and inn
mense proportions, and tongues Of
flame are playing over his fiery surface
as is usual at this maximum of the
the sun-spot cycle. The epoch of
Auroral light and magnetic storm has
evidently commenced, and brilliant
shows of northern lights may now be
looked for. Meantime storm has al |
ternated with sunshine, bounteous
harvests have rewarded the husband
man, and the perfection of autumnal
has crowned the season in our
cline, while this zone of
the earth, except in the recurrence of
waves of heat and waves of cold, has
little reason thus far to complain of
Jupiter's perihelion or the great spot
'ycle. 1t seems stretch of magma
ion to think Of our sun as small
Iellow star twinkling in the heavens
With variable light to gazers from
he remote regions of space. Such is
doubtless its appearance, while the
planets, including great Jupiter, can
10 more be seen than we can see dark
planets circling around the stars that
litter i'll our nocturnal sky. At OPP
as the word implies, Jupiter
GEMS to be opposite the sun, and will
Use when the sun sets, and be visible
the night. On the It'll,
therefore,, he will rise about half-past
we, and after that a few minutes
arlier every night; at the end of the
he month he will set about four in the
Saturn will be the evening star ac-
Drding to astronomical records after
le 18th. He then comes into OppOsi- ;
on, and like Jupiter is at his nearest
Oint to the earth. The reason he is |
, much less conspicuous is that he is {
OF as large and is twice as far away. +;
he two planets are moving south, but !
J Jupiter moves faster, they will be !
lightly further apart at the end of the |
onth than they are now. Saturn |
,ipg still northwest of Jupiter and G
sing Il little more than half an hour Q
ter. AT opposition on the 18th, Sat $
II rises at sunset soon after five; at Il
lie close of the month he sets about Il
llf-past four in the morning. IL
Venus is evening star, and is now Il
+ enough away from the sun to be Il
visible after the sunset, shin -,
& in the twilight glow with II serene y
veliness that gives promise of what II
ay be expected when she reigns u
preme in the west in the winter D
onths, while the eVanescGnt splendor u
Jupiter and Saturn slowly fade.
lie must be looked for about eight II
grees south Of the point where the Il
II set. She sets now about half-past u
:, three-quarters of an hour after the Il
II; at the end Of the month about a IL
arter after six, more than an hour
d quarter after the sun. u
Mercury is evening star and may cl
ssibly be seen on the last of the a
,nth soon after sunset. He must be NJ
,ked for more than degree farther I'll
18th than Venus, and also between W
nus and the horizon. He sets now III
N after the sun, ut the end of the W
NTH about six O'Clock. H
Uranus is morning star, and wanders oi
long the stars of Leo. He is az =
ming towards us, and therefore in Oh
in brilliancy, though still vi
small to be visible to the naked a.
;. He rises now about o'clock; co
the end Of the month about = We
lock. st'
lars will he numbered with the Sa
rning stars after tho 25th. when he Ie ,
n conjunction with the sun. ~ ri
he full moon will be in conjunction lls
Ii Jupiter on the 18th, and with Oh,
urn OF the 18th, at the time of OPP WI
ition. The waning moon is near NC It
mus on the morning of the 9TH Ju
violence Journal. SUI
de-
Some Large Children. att