Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-06-05
NO 1873.
UNE5 s
miscellaneous.
PLANETS IN JUNE.

Jupiter is a morning star and the only
planet of much account during the month.
He will be brilliant object in the lovely
June mornings. as he leads the starry
host and holds his court without rival in
lustre. size and brightness.
Those who have watched his move
ments win note his increasing magnitude
and brilliancy us with aecelerating speed
he rolls majestically onward in his orbit
towards his perihelnn and opposition
with the sun. travelling towards the earth
as well as the great central orb. whose
disturbed condition may be partially
! owing to the attraction of this huge mass.
If the planet Neptune was discovered or
supposed to exist on account of certain
pertuobations in the movements of
Uranus. and if the erratic movements Of
Mercury reveal the presence of planets
within his orbit. why should not the near
approach of Jupiter to the sun stir up
commotion in his fiery elementse
The sun is still diversified with spots
and the planet is near enough to perihe-
lon to make his influence felt. Astrono
mcrs have been wise prophets thus far AS
| to the influence Of the commencement ot
| the sun-spot.
Tornadoes and cyclones of extreme
severity have borne witness TO abnormal
conditions of the atmosphere, and n wave
| of. intense heat, such as has not occurred
for quarter of a century at this season
of the year. has confirmed the exactness
of previous observations. We must still
expect the Usual storms. waves of heat
and auroral displays that follow the max
| imum of sun-spots; we have yet to learn
whether the co-incident perihelia of the
four great planets will increase and pro.
| long the elemental warfare.
| This is one of the most intcrestisS
problems of the day. las well rs one Qfthe
most practical and important. It, vii nor
meet with a hasty solution. for ne periou
of observation extends to the year 1880.
| Herschel. the great astrop~ner' sa" 'hat
'sun-spots Influenced IT, price OF corn.
This assertion is eas'iy UNDERSTOOD, ior
heat. drouth and s.'rms exert mighty IN
fluenee on bsvests, ana u these are
|1esscned, tl's value oil what remains is
increase'h
S,p.ents of astronomy will therefore
regard with special interest the move
dents of Jupiter in the morning sky,
while they ponder upon the mysterious
link that unites in one harmonious whole
the members of the solar family. The
planet now rises at ? O'Clock ut the end
of the month, abont midnight.
Saturn is morning star. and holds his
place not far away from his more brilliant
rival He too, the second in size Of the
giant members Of the brotherhood, is tray
cling towards his opposition with the sun.
and more slowly towards perihelion. so
that he is increasing in size and donnng
a clearer tint than the murky one that has
marked his presence. He rises now at
half past 2, half hour after Jupiter: at
the end of the month about half-past II.
Venus is morning star. and travels so
near the sun as TO be hidden from mortal
vision. She rises now few minutes be-
fore 4 at the close of the month only
about a quarter of an hour before the sun.
Mars is evening star. His ruddy glow
is paling and his size diminishing
Uranus is evening star. still wandering
among the small stars of Leo, and to far
from the earth to be visible without aid
of the telescope. Mercury is evening star
after the I'd, when he reaches his superior
conjunction with the sun. He sets about
half-past Z. and commences his oscillation
! eastward from the sun in straight line
IN which he seems to move. being to near
to be visible.
The June moon fulls on the 22d. The
morning sky of the I'd. will show lovely
pcture.of the waning crescent of the old
moon. near to the brilliant Jupiter and
and his less distinguished rival Saturn.
On the 9th. one day before her change.
she will be near Venus. On the 22d there
will be a total eclipse of the moon, which
will be invisible in this portion of the
globe. out will be partly visible in the
western part of the United States, and en-
tirelv visible in the Pacific Ocean.
Events are somewhat nlonotonous on
the planetary records of the month. The
visible planets are evenly divided. Jupi-
ter, Saturn and Venus doing duty as
morning stars; Uranus, Mars and Mer-
curry being numbered as evening stars.
Jupiter takes the lead in interest and we
may expect to hear the report of OBJ
servers concerning the great red spot
that g.ows upon his disc. Sun-spots are
still to be studied in connection with
meteorological changes, those occurring
during the last month having been ol
marked Importance. Auroral displays
may also add their weird testimony To
iprove the existence of solor disturbance
| II was a brisk two hours conflict bcfwecr