The Portland daily press., 1880-10-09
Planets in October.
Providence journal. J


Jupiter is evening star, in regular standing
after the 7h, and will be in his best and bright
est position for observation through the north
of October, one OF the most favorable seasons
of the year for enjoying the glory of the star
spangled armament. That much-dreaded ep-
och in his revolution, his perihelion, was safely
passed on the 25th of September, and his vast
bulk will sweep on in resistless course farther
and farther from the sun for six years to come.
Not till 1891 will he appear again in his pres
ent size and brilliancy. Therefore diligent
heed should be paid to his superb appearance
in the eastern sky, where, as soon as the sun
has set and the short twilight fades, lie reigns
supreme among the twinkling mysteries that
form his brilliant court. 1t is not tlattering TO
human pride to reflect that one-third of the
inhabitants of the earth will have passed away
before our giant brother shall have made an
other revolution round the sun.
On the 7th, Jupiter is in opposition when he
is at the nearest point to the earth, the earth
being directly between him and the SUM- Thus
he is now about one hundred and eighty miles
nearer the earth, and 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
q glorious object of planetary study. Observ-
ers who have access to telescopes should i'm
prove the opportunity to behold him in his
present superb aspect, with his moons, BELTS
and rudy spot, and note the exquisite softness
and deicacy of his celestial coloring. Those
who cannot enjoy a telescope view will find
with good opera glass a lovely picture of the
planet and his moons, the dis" of the planet
being plainly visible, and the moons looking
like minute points of gold in the azure black
ness of the sky. Whether this great planet is
pulling upon the sun with disturbing force
that is distinctly felt or not, it is certain that
an unusual commotion exists in the great lu-
minary. Elemental warfare is still going on.
Snow four inches deep in Western State, a
prevalent malaria in regions where it has not
before existed for many years, and unusual
magnetic and electrical disturbances mani
tested in violent d efectons of the magnetic
needle, and brilliant auroral displays, are
some of the recent forms in which the storm
agitated surface of the sun has found express
sion in terrestrial territory. Meteors OF unus-
ual size, duration, and dazzling brilliancy are
also to be ranked with the phenomena of the
season. The face of the sun is still darkened
with spots of great nnmbers and immense pro-
port ons, and tongues of flame are playing over
his fiery surface as is usual at this maximum
of the sun-spot cycle The epoch OF auroral
light and magnetic storm has evidently COM
menced, and brilliant shows of Northern lights
may now be looked for. Meantime storm has
alternated with sunshine, bounteous harvests
have rewarded the husbandman, and the per-
lection of Autumnal weather has crowned the
season in our temperate cline, while this
zone of the earth, except in the recurrence of
waves of heat and waves OF cold, has little rea-
son thus far to complain of Jupiter's perheli-
on or the great spot-cycle. 1t seems stretch
of imagination TO think of our sun as a small
yellow star twinkling in the heaven with va
riable light to gazers from the remote region Of
space. Such is doubtless its appearance,
while the planets, including great Jupiter, caf
no more be seen than we can see fdark planets
circling round the stars in our nocturnal sky.
Saturn will be evening star according to as
Economical records after the 18TH He then
comes into opposition, and like Jupiter is at
his nearest point to the earth. The reason he
is not as conspicuous is that he is not as large
and is twice as far away. He is, however, i'll
unusually favorable circumstances for observa-
tioD. Besides his being at the bnearest point,
he is travelling toward periheion, his rings
are opening to their widest lextent, and he is
in Northern declination. If Jupiter was out
of the way he would command more attention.
He far surpasses him in lelescopic view, and
nothing can be imagined more magnificent
than sight of this planet as he now lies era
elongation in Saturn's disc, caused by the
rings The two planets are moving south, but
as Jupiter moves faster, they will be slightly
further apart at the end of the month than
they are now Saturn being still northwest of
Jupiter, and rising little more than half an
hour later.
Venus is evening STAR andfs now far enough
away from the sun to be distinctly visible after
the sunset, shining in the twilight glow with
serene lovelness that gives promise of what
may be expected when she regns supreme in
the West in the Winter months while fthe ev-
anescent splendors of Jupiter and Saturn slow
ly fade. She must be looked for about eight
degrees south of the point where the sun set.
Thus the October nights will afford grand
opportunity to study the stars. The opposi-
tiOns of Jupiter and Saturn show two promi-
nent planets under peculiarly favorable condi-
tions for observation, we'll as in their bright
est phase. Astronomers will not be idle i'll
taking notes, and it may be that the world will
be electrified by some brilliant discovery like
that of the moons of Mars in the opposition of
1877. According to mathematical gradation
there should be more moons to be discovered
in Saturns retinue, for if the earth has one,
Mars two, and Jupiter four, Saturn should
have sixteen. A few more moons for Saturn
or an additional ring, or q fresh spot on Jupi-
ter, giving peep OF his interior beneath his
twenty thousand mile-deep blanket OF clouds,
would nobly immortalize the eventiul year
1880.