The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-06-08
Astronomical Notes-June.

Astronomical Notes June.
The most interesting celestial event of
the month is the total eclipse of the Moon
soon after midnight of the 18th. The
eclipse begins in this city New York Is
minutes after midnight, is total from II
minutes after one until 80 minutes after
two, and ends at 341 on the morning of
the 10Th. At Chicago the eclipse begins
at ll;2Q in the evening of the 18th, and
farther to the west at still earlier hour.
AS some years have passed since the Moon
has been obscured by the shadow of the
earth. this eclipse will he anticipated with
considerable interest. Let us hope for a
clear sky and a steady atmosphere.
Venus will be at her greatest brillian-
cy at about midnight of the 9th, and as
she rises at that time at about an hour
and half before the Sun, early risers
will be rewarded with brilliant specta-
Gle. There will be very close coniunc-
ton between Venus and Saturn during
the night of the 9Th, the interval between
them being only i minutes; and during
the night of the 18th Jupiter and Venus
will be only little more than degrees
apart. If, as some eminent astronomers
maintain, the solar activity is increased
by conjunction of Jupiter and Venus.
there may be an increase in the number
OF spots and facule during he latter part
OF the month. There was certainly a
large number of them at the time of the
last conjunction of these planets in Feb
ruary, whether due to this cause or some
other
Saturn and Jupiter will rise earlier
every evening as the month advances.
Saturn will rise to-day, June 1st, at 2:27
by Washington time, and at the end OF
the month at half past one o'clock. At
the beginning of the month Jupiter rises
about III minutes after Saturn, and at the
end about II minutes after. Mars to-
night will rise soon after half past one
o clock, and on the 30th few minutes
before one. Each of these planets is in
creasing in apparent size and becoming
brighter.
Mercury is an evening star this month.
reaches its greatest eastern elongation at
midnight on the 10Th, and, as it will set
on the goth an hour and forty minutes
after the Sun, may be visible to the naked
eye for SEINE days before and after As
the atmosphere in this latitude is often
very clear and steady from the middle to
the end of June, it will be worth while
to endeavor to obtain satisfactory view
Of this very bright planet.
The positions of the planets are as fol-
lows: Mercury is in Gemini and passes
into Cancer at about the middle Of the
month Venus is in Aries and enters
Taurus during The last week of the month
Mars is in Pisces and passes into Aries
about the middle of the month Jupiter
is in Aries, and enters Taurus at the end
Of the month Saturn is in Aries Nep-
tune is not fer from Jupiter, and will be
N close conjunction with it on the morn
ing OF the 10Th, the interval between them
beng only Al minutes; and Uranus is
still in Leo, where it has been distinctly
visible on moonless nights for some
months. About two weeks ago Uranus
began apparently to move very slowly
toward the East. That motion will con-
tlnue to the end Of the year, but will not
carry the planet out Of Leo. The planets
are still, Uranus excepted, as relate to the
earth, not far apart, and not far from the
Sun, and Mars is approaching the group.
One curious and interesting result Of
the position of the planets is that the
earth at present is travelling out into
space all alone, attended only by her
faithful satellite. The entire remainder
OF the solar system is behind us, Uranus
being in the Southwest, and the Sun and
all the other planets in the North vest
that IS, calling the direction in which the
earth IS moving easterly. Such a state
ment, however, conveys very mad
equate idea Of the position.
The Sun enters the sign of Cancer, in
the constellation Of Gemini, at 2 o'clock.
Washington time, on the morning of the
2lst, and summer begins. On the same
day the Sun attains its greatest northern