The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-07-03
SATURDAY MORNING, JULY 8.

when the sun shows his angry face at the max
imum of spot-cycle. Nothing can be mag
ined more serenely beautiful than many of the
June days. with their comfortable tempera-
ture, exhilarating breezes and sunny skies. We
have had heat and drought, but storm and
tempest have thus far passed us by. 1t is I'M
wise philosophy to borrow trouble, though we
are far from being out of the woods Jupiter
is still rolling on towards his perihelion at the
rate of eight miles second, for the planets
move slower the farther they are from the
sun. 1t will still be nearly three months be-
fore he reaches the dreaded goal on the 18th
of September 1t will then be time to study
the influence of the other giant planets in
combination with their chief, and as the pc
culiar conditions do not end till 1888, there is
no need of hurry in the calculations: ODserv-
ers must remember that never in their lives
will such an epoch as the present recur, and
that between eleven and twelve years must
pass before another perihelion of Jupiter and
a new sun-spot cycle will afford renewed.
study of the interesting problem. Meanwhile
this apparently serene and golden-tinted star
fifty named for the father of gods and men, is
coming towards US, and at the end of the
month, will be the brightest of the starry host
in the late evening hours. He now rises about
midnight; at the end of the month, soon after
10. --l tE
Saturn is morning star follows closely in the
track of Jupiter and must be looked for a
short distance to the northwest. The two plan
cts will be in fine position for observation dur
ing August and September, though Saturn is
not an interesting object to the naked eye OBJ
server. Every one who can should see this
superb planet with a telescope, for he is COM
ing toward us and his rings are opening to
their widest extent. Saturn rises now at half
past II; at the end of the month about half
past 10.
Venus will be evening star after the 18th.
She is then in superior conjunction with the
sun; the planet, the sun and the earth being
in straight line, with the sun in the centre.
She passes then to the eastern side of the sun
and commences her role of evening star for
the succeeding two hundred and ninety-two
DAYS. She will not be visible during the
month on account of her nearness to the sun,
but sometime in August the Queen OF the Stars
will emerge from her temporary eclipse and be
found shining with peerless lustre amid the
glowing gold of early twilight. No one of her
phases is more fascinating than when, after her
long absence in the fufillment of her role as
Lucifer, the Lightbearer, she shines again rs
Hesperus the most radiant gem in the starry
crown of night. On the first of the month
Venus rises few minutes before the sun; on
the 18th she rises and sets with the sun; on the
last of the month she sets about quarter OF
an hour after the sun.
Mercury is evening star, reaching his great
from the sun on the 9th. This is the second of
the three most favorable times during the year
for view of Mercury. He is visible now and
will continue to be SO until the middle of the
month. He sets about nine, nearly an hour
and half after the sun, and must be looked
for a few degrees south of the point or sunset.
1t will take close observation to pick him up,
and it is useless to try unless the sky is cloud
less and the atmosphere serene and clear. But
sight of our bright-eyed brother is worth a
daol oft rouhla and ic q mam0rqhla
perience in astronomical observation. On the
31st at midnight, Mercury and Venus are in
conjunction, when it is safe to say there will
be no terrestrial witnesses of the celestial in
terview.
Mars is evening star, travelling rapidly to-
wards conjunction with the sun. He is now
in the constellation Leo, and about the middle
of the month passes very near the bright star
Regulus. He sets now little later than half
past 8; at the end of the month at half past s.
Uranus is evening star. too far away to be
visible, and only of Importance to those who
wish to follow the track of the planets from
month to month. He is still moving slowly
among the small stars OF Leo, setting now
about 10; at the close OF the month about half
past s.
The July moon fuls on the 21st On the list
the old moon the second day after her last
quarter is near Saturn just after midnight.
On the 7th, a few hours before her change, the
moon passes very near Venus On the 9TH the
uOOu 10 uCdI ItlCICuIJs Oh eiO iooA oAAO AllOoiA
passes near Mars, and on the 18th near IRA
nus. On the 9th the waning moon will be
near Jupiter, and ON the 2Sth near Saturn.
The influence of sun spots, as manifested in
elemental disturbances of the earth's atmos-
phere; the influence of Jupiter's approaching
perihelion on these manifestations and the
disturbances in Jupiters cloud atmosphere in
dictated by the famous red spot are problems
to be carefully observed during the coming
month The most charming picture on the
hoo ovbi %
evening of the ninth, when the slender cres-
cent of the two-days-old moon and the shy
planet Mercury will make up scene chal-
longing every beholder. IL the evening is
clear, any careful observer can enjoy the
view, Mercury being a few degrees south OF
grees south of Mercury and serving as guide
to point to his position.