The Portland daily press., 1880-11-04
Planets in November.


ElJu0US III november.
Providence Journal
Saturn is evening star, and, though lesser
light than the. glowing Jupiter, sarpassses him
"A interest during the month. He has passed
his opposition or nearest point to the earth,
but is still travelling towards his perihelion or
nearest point to the sun, which he will not
reach till 1884. Therefore, he will appear
brighter than he did this year at the next op.
position of 1881, and still brighter at each sue
ceeding one till 1881 whom ne will be hundred
million miles nearer the sun than at his most
distant point, aud put on his most glorious
phase. The rings win continue 60 opsn until
1881 when they raach their widest extent, AMI
the planet will also reach the point OF greatest
northern deciiittiou within the same period.
The years lS31-lSS5 are the golden season for
astronomers of the present to make % special
study of Saturn. When in 1907 the conditions
of the present are partially repeated, the Wis
ion that is now clear and far-seeng will be-
come dim by the passage of time, and if twen-
ty-five years is the average length
OF time for an astronomers vigorous
power of observation, when Saturn
sweeps round again towards perihelion a
new race of observers take the place of those
who now wonder and admire as the glory of
the Saturnian system is revealed to their en-
chanted eyes. Perhaps by that time contn-
ued observations and improved instruments
may determine. whether there, is a triple ring
besides the dusky ring, whether the rings are
made up of clouds of satellites too small to be
seen separately and too close together to allow
the intervals between them to be visible, or
whether the rings are approaching the plan
ct. We never see this magnificent planet
through the telescope without wishing that
the picture of surprising loveliness could be
painted on the nightly sky, and that all who
gaze upon the starry depths might behold the
enhancing spectacle, a glorious orb, encircled
by golden rings, and surrounded by gittering
points OF light, the colorng so clear and softly
toned that the brightest earthly tiuts seem
muddy in comparison, the grandeur of the
spectacle transcending the power of the pen to
paint. Saturn and Jupiter are both moving
south, aud Saturn's slower motions will in.
crease the distance between them, so that he
rises and sets about fifty minutes later
throughout the month. He sets now not far
from o'clock in the morning; at the end of
the month about 8.
Neptune is evening star after the 4th, when
he is in opposition. Though too distant to be
seen with the naked eye, he iSin excellent posi-
ton for telescope observation, showing de-
cided disc and coloring of blush white He
also is travelling towards periheion, which he
reaches in 1884. II we had eyes to see the out
er planets as they roll, we should behold three
OF them, Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune, almost
in line with the earth and sun, their masses
uniting in pull upon the central orb. The
disturbance in the movements of Uranus was
the means of the discovery of Neptune, for
this most distant member of the brotherhood
was not really introduced to our acquaintance
till 1916, and it will take him till 2O11 to COM
pete his first circuit round the sun since his
existence was first discovered. With our pres
ent conditions OF being we shall not be in haste
to migrate to Neptune. The sun at that dis
taEce appears little larger than Venus at her
largest dimensions, and gives one thousandth
part of the light with which the earth is best
The planets, as seen from this distant point are
all inferior, moving like Venus and Mercury
in straight lines, approaching and receding
from the sun. The Neptunian astronomers,
with eyes like ours, may, perhaps, see Uranus,
Saturn and Jupiter as stars of the sixth magni
tude, but the other planets are invisible. They
have, however, one advantage over us. They
can measure the distance of the fixed stars
without much trouble, for their base line is
thirty times as long as ours; but it takes one
hundred and sixty-fve years, the time of the
planets revolu ion, to complete an observa-
ton. Astronomers are signing for more
worlds to conquer. Neptune has perturba-
tions indicating an outside brother, and syste-
matte efforts are being made to gather the far
away wanderer into the system.
Mercury is evening star until the 23d, when
he is in inferior conjunction with the sun and
passing to his western side joins the morning
stars. His movements during the early part
of the month demand special attention. He
reaches his eastern elongation or most distant
point from the sun on the 4th and is more IA
vorably situated for being seen as evening star
than he will be for the rest of the year. The
best time to look for him is on the evening of
the 4th, soon after sunset. Venus and the
crescent moon will help to point out his posi-
ton, which is about one degree, or twice the
diameter OF the sun, south Of Venus. The
moon is in close conjunction with both Venus
and Mercury on the 4th, being, when at her
nearest point, only seventeen minutes south
of Venus, and forty-nine minutes north of
Mercury. The difficulty in seeing this planet
lies in not knowing where to look, but with
Venus and the moon to point the way, care
full observer may hope to be rewarded with a
sight we'll worth watching for, brilliant
white star, shining with light resembling
Sirius, and yet so hard to find that astronomers
like Tycho Brahe and Copernicus have died
without the sight. 1t must be remembered
that Mercury may be found one degree south
Of Venus between her and the horizon, and
the moon will be between the two planets.
Mercury will set about an hour after the sun,
the moon and Venus within few minutes of
each other about a quarter after 6 o'clock. If
the weather be unproptious on the 4th the
planet may be found for a few days before or
after.
Jupiter is evening star, and though shining
with royal grace as he mounts grandly to the
zenith presents no new phase nor perceptible
diminution. The great spot still lights his
disc with its ruddy hue and, though he has
passed percyhelion, believers in the agent of the
planets in producing solar commotion will sees
evidence OF retreating pull in the battalion
of snow-fiakes that in the mid-October over
whelmed the west and blockaded the trains
with snow-drifts ten feet high; in the terrific
sea that ragged on the western lakes in the
unreasonable severity of Canadian Snow
storms; in the shocks OF earthquakes on the
Spanish peninsula; and in the frightful war
fare of the elements in Buenos Ayres that
caused the death of more than a million
of cattle in mid-September. Jupiter is now
more than an hour above the horizon at sun
set, and sets shortly after o'clock in the
morning; at the end of the month about 2.
Venus is evening star and will be charming
to behold in the southwest throughout No
vember. Venus and Jupiter are SO situated in
regard to each other that they form the most