The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-08-11

of presaging the death of some insignificant
tyrant, it subserves wise and beneficial pur
poses in the economy ofour planetary system
Its orbit is necessarily eccentric and very
elliptcal, but in time we trust it will assume
mole harmonious proportions, and if it is, as
we believe, "lucky comet" it will continue
to grow and thrive until, in the course of my
raids of ages, it has sc tiled down to be peace
full planet, teeming with joyful life. What
mark would this planet bear of its cometary
origin? We can name one ats orbit around
the sun would not be a circle with the sun in
its CENTER but it would be an elipse with the
sun in one of the foci." l,.
ORLANDO PAUL.
ala The Planets IN August.
Saturn is morning star, and wins the place
| of honor for the month"; as he is the first of the
six planets clustering on the western side OF
the sun to appear above the horizon. He will
increase in size and brightness. until the 31st OF
October, when he reaches what may be called
the starting point IN his course. The coming
deposition will be observed with eager inter
| est, from the favorable conditions under which
it takes place, including the planets approach
to perihelion, his northern declination, and his
widely opening rings. Special attention will
therefore, be given to Saturn from the present
| time until he arrives at perheliOn, which does
not occur until 1885. On the 4th, Saturn
comes into quadrature with the sun. This point
is a kind of halfway house between conjunc-
ton and opposition, being ninety degrees from
each. The planet then rises about midnight
and comes to the meridian about six o'clock in
the morning. The course of superior or
outer planet is easily kept in mind if three as
poets are impressed on the memory. When a
superior planet is on the same side OF the sun
as the earth, with the earth IN the middle, it is
opposition because it is then seen in the part
Of the heavens opposite the sun. When the
planet is on the other side of the sun from the
EARTH with the sun in the centre it is in con
junction, because it then seems to be joined
with the sun, rising and setting at the same
time. When the planet is between these two
points it is in quadrature. 1t is easy to keep
the run of Saturn, as he is 37S days in travel
ing from one opposition to the next All the
superior planets, except Uranus are now tray
elidg towards opposition, and seldom in the
many years we have studied the stars, 40 we
remember combination when four planets
were so near each other and so Simultaneous
ly drawing near to opposition. Saturn rises
now not far from II 10 o'clock; at the end Of
the month he rises at 8: Is o'clock.
Neptune is morning star, and though invisi-
BILE to the unaided eye, wins the second place,
as he is second of the morning stars to appear
Saturn's track that he rises only nine minutes
behind him. On the 9Th, Neptune comes
into quadrature with the sun, four days af
ter his nearest neighbor, and completes mis- |
circuit by arriving at opposition on the 18th of |
November.
Jupiter is morning star, and is the third of |
the superior brotherhood to make his advent |
above the eastern horizon. He passes his half |
way house or quadrature with the sun on the |
10 rs
appearance to the naked eye and to shine out
in all the glory OF his moons and belts in the
telescope. He will become the brightest gem
that adorns the starry show of the late evening
hours of August, and with Saturn above ana
Mars below him will form the centre of the
beaming trio of planets long before Venus rises
to dispute the pre-eminence. Jupiter rises now
about :35 o'clock; at the end of the month I
about 8: IS o'clock. ii -sroI
Mars is morning star, and the latest of the
superior planets to appear above the eastern
horizon He is travelling northward, and on the
9th enters the sign Gemini, leaving his three
brother planets in the sign Taurus. He is an
ill-boding planet, and according to astrologsts
his entrance into Gemini portends disturbances
in London, the United States and various other
countries. But as nearly two-thirds of the
year have passed without any fulfllnent of
predictions, there is hope that we
of this momentous period Mars lags behind
his more sure-footed brothers, and slowly in
creases in size and brightness as he approaches
us, not reaching his opposition until the 25th
His rapid movement northward I
is worthy of observation. Mars rises now a
few minutes before midnight; at the end of
the month about II o'clock.
Venus is morning star, and the fifth to take
her place among the stars. She is now retrac-
ing her steps from the western elongation, ap-
preaching the sun andreceding from the earth
Venus rises now about : 80 O'clock at the end
of the month she rises few minutes after 2
O'clock
Mercury is morning star until the last day of |
the month, when he comes into superior con-
junction with the sun. He is the sixth and
last of the planets in the order of rising that
are numbered among the morning stars. He
reaches his greatest western elongation on
the 9Th, and is then 10 degrees distant from
the sun. He is then in one of the three favor
able positions during the year for being seen
rising an hour and half before the sun, 5 de-
grees north of the sunrise point, and about 2
degrees south of the point from which Venus
rose an hour and a-half before. Mercury rises
on the first of the month about 8 3S O'Clock
at the end of the month he sets with the sun at
6 30 o'clock.
Uranus Is evening star, the sole planet
that plays this role. He is of little impor-
lance on the monthly record, but is rapidly
drawing near his conjunction with the sun
He sets now at s: 40 o'clock in the evening
at the end OF the month about 6 45 o'clock
August may not show brilliant record like
those that have frightened the annals of the |
previous months ofthe great year 1881, for not
a single planetary conjunction will occur dur
ing its passage. A rare display of clustering
planets will, however, make the summer
nights dream of beauty. For nearly the first
half OF the month Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, We
nus and Mercury, rising in the order named,
will wend their way among the stars between
midnight and four o'clock When Mercury is
lost in the suns bright rays the moon takes on
her wondrous role, and paying her respects in
turn to Saturn, Jupiter and Mars completes
the show on the 26th, as she hangs side by side
with Venus, fairest of the stars. This is the
aesthetic aspect of the picture. The practical
one is no less noteworthy for four Of the SUI
perior planets travelling towards opposition
give rare opportunity for study to those who
would become familiar with the fashions of
our brother spheres. The meteorological as
pect is full OF interest to thoughtful minds,
for the earth still responds to the relentless
power OF the storm-tossed sun. The heat of
the torrid CLINE rolling it's devastating waves
over Europe, earthquakes In Switzerland,
fresh volcanic Outburst in the Sandwich Is
lands and tornadoes and cyclones in Minneso-
ia are among the latest connections of the ex-
ceptional year.-Pr00a1ence Journal.
How TO EAT LEMoNs.-Most people know
the benefit of lemonade before breakfast, but
few know how it is more than doubled by take
ing another at night, also. The way to ge-
the better of a bilious system without bIut
pills or quinine, is to take the juice OF one,
two or three lemons, as the appetite Graves, in
as much ice water as makes it pleasant to
drink, without sugar, before going to bed. In
the morning on rising, or at least half an hour
before breakfast take the juice of one. lemon
in goblet of water. This will clear the sys-
tenn of humors and bile, with mild efficacy,
without any of the weakening effects of Con-
gress water. People should not irritate the
stomach by eating the lemons clear; the pow
erful acid ofthe Juice, which is almost corro-
siye, infallibly produces inflammation after a
while, but properly diluted, so that it does not
burn or draw the throat, it.does its full medl-
cal work without harm, and when the stomach
nf nod hoe orf,1 ;tuf TO