The Portland daily press., 1880-05-03
MONDAY MORNING, MAY 8.

the sun will be reflected on the earth in waves
of intense heat severe storms and auroral dis
plays or that the same influence will be felt
in the same way to the systems remotest
bounds.
Gigantic Jupiter, as his mighty mass plunges
towards the sun, gives evidence of mighty
forces at work among the chaotic elements of
his cloud-surface. A spot has been seen on his
disc for nearly year, elliptical in form, red in
color, and with diameter OF nearly twenty
thousand miles. No observer understands the
cause of this huge rift. 1t may be an opening
in the cloud-atmosphere disclosing the more
solid matter beneath, and it may be something
beyond human ken. About the 22d it is hoped
that the planet will be again in favorable posi-
tion for the observation, and patient investiga-
tors will not be wanting to make the best of
the opportunity. This beautiful planet may
now be seen in the eastern sky, serenely un-
conscious of the excitement induced by his
movements, rising quarter before 4; at the
end of the month he rises at 2, nearly two
hours and half before the sun.
Saturn is evening star, but no special inter-
est is attached to his movements during the
month, excepting on the LIST, when Saturn,
Venus and Mercury rise within 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 quarter after 4; at the
end of the month, at half-past 2, half an hour
after Jupiter.
Venus is morning star, and though at nearly
her greatest distance from the earth, and ris-
ing only about half an hour before the sun, is
charming object to behold in the pleasant
May mornings, as, tremulous with brightness
near approach of the sun. She rises now at
about quarter after d. at the close of the
month a few minutes before 4, keeping at
nearly the same distance from the sun.
Mercury is morning star throughout the
month, though after the first few days invisi-
a G a To afIIrn on,
the 9th, and to Venus on the 10Th. He rises
about a quarter after on the list, and about
half after on the 31st.
Neptune is morning star after the 3D. when
he comes into conjunction with the sun. He
is in close conjunction with Mercury, and near
Venus on the 18th. AS he travels on the sys-
TENS EXTREMIST VERGE AID is now more than
twenty-eight hundred million miles away, ter
restrial observers will not much wiser for at
tempting 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 Gemlni and is not far from
Castor, the leading brilliant of that constela-
ton, on the 18th. He is SO far away and his
fiery rays haye become so dim that he is not of
much account among his brethren. He sets
now quarter of an hour before midnight at
the end of the month about II.
away from visibility, though still very near
the star Rho Leonis. He rises now about 1;
at the end of the month about H.
The May moon fulls on the Oath. The wan
ing moon pays her respects to no less than five
of the planets-to Jupiter on the 9th, to MerL
curry, Venus and Saturn on the 7th, and to
Neptune ON the Sth The new moon of the 9th
is near Mars on the. 18th and near Uranus on
the 18th, the day after her first quarter.
The feature of the month is the unusual
number of planets doing duty as morning stars
Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, Mercury and Neptune
form the shining quintette that sing together
as they wait the coming of the sun. If mortal
ears are not tuned to hear the music of the
morning stars, mortal eyes will enjoy rare pic
lures on the celestial canvas during the mild
May mornings. Venus, Saturn and Mercury
rise within few minutes of each other on the
list. The loveliest picture of the month is un-
rolled on the It'll, for the slender crescent of
the waning moon, only two days before her
change, is then in close vicinity to the same
shining trio. Throughout the winter Venus
reigned alone as morning star, and Jupiter,
Saturn and Mars, far asunder, spanned the
. evening sky. Now they are all morning stars,
grouped near each other and near the sun.
And yet such is the variety and simplicity of
the noble science of astronomy, that an intel
Igent child can comprehend the movements of
the planets.
Observers of the stars have enough to do DUR
ing the month in watching the movements
here indicated, in studying the phases of Jupi-
Ter and the temperance of the great red spot,
in noting the increase of sun spots, and in test
ing the truth of the prophecies of men of
science concerning the meteorological changes
to be expected from these celestial coinciden-
ces.-Providence Journal.