St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-01-14

Saturn is evening star, and reaches
his quadrature, or halfway house be-
tween opposition and conjunction, on
the 18th. He is then exactly on the
meridian at 6 o'clock and sets at mid
night. He, as well as his giant brother
is receding from the earth and ap-
preaching the sun, although he still re-
tains an unusual brilliancy from his
approach to herihelion, his increasing
northern declinatIon and the wider
opening of his rings. The lessenipg
distance between Saturn and Jupiter is
noteworthy point during the month.
This planet now sets at ] o'clock at
the end of the month about IL o'clock.
Mars is morning star, travelling slow
ly from the sun, and approaching the
time when his brighter phase will at
tract attention from observers. He an
ticipates the sun about an hour and a
half, and may be easily recognized in
the morning sky by his ruddy light.
He rises now about 6 o'clock, at the end
of the month, about Il quarter before g..
Uranus is morning star and is coming
toward us, but there is nothing in his
movements of special interest to OBJ
servers. He rises now about 10 o'clock
in the evening; at the end of the month
about s O'Clock.
Mercury is morning star until the
Goth, when he comes in superior con-
junction to the san, passes to his east
ern side and becomes evening star. He
rises now about half-past 6 in the morn
ing; at the end of the month he sets
about half-past 5 o'clock in the even
ing.
The January moon fulls on the 18th,
having commenced her course on the
last day of the old year. She will form
succession of beautiful tableaux, in
connection with the grand trio of plan
cts that will reign in the western even
ing sky. On the Sd, she will appear as
Il shining crescent, with Venus for her
attendant; on the 9th, with increasing
brightness, she will pay her court to
Jupiter, on the 9TH, just after she has
reached the fist quarter, she will be
seen in conjunction with Saturn. She
will pass near Neptune on the 9th, and
near Uranus on the 10Th, while in her
waning phase she will form a brilliant
picture with Mars for companion on
the morning of the 9th. But beautiful
and varied as are the many phases pre-
scented by the moon, those who really
desire to study the stars are willing to
see her sink below the horizon, for it is
only on mOOnless nights that the glory
of the stars is revealed, and the tele-
scope grasps the secrets that lie hidden
in the depths of space.
Two prominent themes for study and
observation demand attention during
December. The condition of Jupiter,
the number and size of the suns spots,
and the internal aud external disturb
ances taking place on the earth are all
to be closely observed in connection
with the theory of the physical action
of the planets on the sun and on each
other. The opportunity will soon close,
and twelve years must pass before the
observation can be renewed, under con-
ditions equally favorable. The other
theme for study is more practical. Its
lessons may be learned on the pages of
the book of nature. lying open every
bear evening before the eye. Here shine
the three brilliant planets, presenting a
gorgeous array of phenomena and a
brilliant change of positions, such as
after the passage of few years-will
not be repeated in the present century.
Conjunctions like those that are com
ing are the delight of astrologers, and
horoscopes cast in the coming months
will symbolic lives full of romantic ad-
venture. Intelligent observers will fol-
low closely in the paths of trained as
trOnomerS, for this is eminently the age
of observation, and the result of patient
labor in this department is probably
nearly all that the astronomers of the
present will bequeath to the astrono-
mers of the future,-PrOridenc Jour-
nal.