The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-11-03
Astronomical Notes-November.

After long absence from the western sky
Venus is back again. This beautiful planet the
queen of the stars, sets now about an hour after
sundown and is plainly visible in the evening
twilight rather south of west Venus reaches
her aphelon at six o'clock on the morning of
the 14th, and from that time will constantly
grow brighter until next March. The planet
exhibits phases like those of the moon, which
can be seen with telescope of moderate power
Mercury also will be visible probably as an
evening star during the first week of the month
1t is at its greatest heliocentric latitude south
on the morning of the LIST, and at its greatest
eastern elongation on the morning of the 4th
and will be at its brightest on the evening of
the 4th. The visibility of Mercury is dependent
very much on locality.
Jupiter is slowly diminished in apparent size
and in brilliancy. Saturn falls off more slowly
because it is going on to perihelion and because
the ring is gradually opening out to us. Dur
ing the evening of the Sth two of his moons
make a transit over the face of Jupiter, that of
number one beginning at $40, Washington
time, and that of number two at 9.12, and end
ing about three hours after. The moon, few
days past her quarter, will be in conjunction
with Jupiter during the night of the 18th, and
with Saturn on the night of the 18th. The
spectacle is pleasing one.
Mars is still far away from the earth and
near the sun.
Three telescope comets are in the sky. The
reckonings of the path of Strawberries comet
made Independently at Washington and In Eu
rope, make its position at the first of the month
near the lower part of the sword of Orion
Prof. Harrington's comet discovered on the last
evening of September, has travelled rapidly
from below the Northern Crown to the Milky
Way below Lyra. 1t was large and bright, but
seemed to be decreasing in Brightness Prof
Swift discovered at Rochester, in the western
part Of Pegasus not far to the east of the Dol
phin, on the evening of October 10TH large
comet moving slowly to the northwest going on
therefore to its perihelion and at the same time
coming almost directly toward the earth. This
visitor may become visible before long to the
markable comets of this century. Perhaps it is
the comet of 1872, whose temperance astrono-
mers have been looking for during this year
Two meteoric displays are probable this
month, one during the night of the 18th and
18th, and the other during the evening of the
27th or 2Sth The former proceeds from a ra.
diant point in Leo, and is therefore to be seen
after two o'clock in the morning. This is the
great stream which was so remarkable in 1888,
and witnessed again in Europe in 1S66-6S 1t
has period of 333 years, when the earth passes
through that part of the stream in which the
meteors are most numerous The ring encoun-
tered on about the 9th has its radiant point in
Andromeda, and therefore is likely to indicate
early in the evening what the display is to be.
Prof Henry Draper has obtained from Messrs
Alvan Clark & Sons an eleven-inch telescope,
with Photographic attachment, made for the
Portuguese government. He has succeeded in
obtaining excellent photographs of Jupiter and
his satellites, of Poaris and Vega, and their So
called companions, and of the great nebula of
Orion. These pictures are chiefly valuable as a
faithful record, an entry on the books, which
can be referred to hereafter. Seeing unfortu-
nately, is not always believing in astronomical
observations, for men do not see alike; but the
photographs will approach an exact reproduc-
ton of the appearance of the stars, and the de-
fects of the process are well understood.