The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-11-03
Planets fin Novembsr-A Grand Dis

4 transit across the suns disc. OniOrtu-
nstely, the transit commences at O'Clock
in the evening, when sun and planet
are safely below the horizon in this longi-
tude, and it is invisible; but dwellers on
the Pacific coast, IL the sky is clear, will
have a fine opportunity for observing the
phenomenon. Observers fortunate enough
to have access to good telescope will see
Mercury passing over the suns face, look
Ing like black ball, and taking
about five hours for the passage
The event is interesting as a ccles-
tial curiosity, as well az for its cOnnec-
ton with various astronomical problems.
The cause Of this transit may be easily eX-
planned. AS Mercury reVolves within the
carth's orbit, he must come between Us and
the sun at every inferior conjunction. II
his orbit lay in the same plane as thst Of
the earth there would be transit at every
revolution. But his orbit is inclined seven
degrees TO the earth's orbit, and, therefore,
he must he at or near his nodes or crossing
points, or else he will pass above or below
the sun, and there will he no transit. The
earth arrives at MercuTy's nodes or cross
ing-points about the 10th Of November
and the eth Of May; therefore transits
Of Mercury must occur near these
dates. The earth makes thirteen revo-
lutions in nearly the same time that
Mercury makes tifty-fcur. When, there
fore, transit has occurred at one node,
after an interval Of thirteen years the earth
and Mercury will return TO nearly the same
relative position, and another transit may
occur at the same node. The last transit
at the ascending or November node was on
November 4, 1868; the present one occurs
on November 7th, and the next one may
be expected November 10. 1894. The same
is true OF the descending or May node.
The last transit was most satisfactorily OBJ
served in this city on May 6, 1873. The
next may be looked for May ., 1891. This
is the general law, which, however, is sub
iect 70 variations, for transits may occur at
the same node ut intervals OF seven years,
and transit at either node il generally
preceded or followed after an interval OF
three years and half by one at the other
node.
As soon as il was known that Mercury
moved around the sun It was evident that
the planet must sometimes pass between Us
and the sun. As the planets diameter Is
too small to allow him to become visible to
the naked eve i'm this position, many years
passed before astronomers observed tran
sit. GaSSendi was the first TO see an actual
transit, i'm 1851, and he came near losing
the sight, as he expected the planet would
look much larger than il did. 1t
was not till 1917 that IN obserya-
ton of scientific accuracy wNs made
HALEY, while at st. Helena, was the fOrtu-
nate observer. Transits OF Mercury are Of
comparatively little consequence when
compared with those of Venus She Is so
much larger and nearer than Mercury, and
her trausits occur so seldom, ST intervals OF
3 and 235 years, that they are looked
upon rs among the most important pheno-
mena that terrestrial observers can study.
Venus will make transit on the 9th Of
December, 1882, which will be visible
throughout this country. The study OF the
less important transit OF Mercury will be
good preparation for the much grander
event, produced by precisely the same
causes.
Mercury reaches his inferior conjunction
at the same time the transit occurs, and
then passing TO the western side Of the sun,
plays the r5ie OF morning star for the rest
Of the month. lie moves rapidly in this
part Of his course, and on the oath arrives
al his greatest western elongation or most
distant point from the sun. lie rises then
about q quarter after . O'Clock, an hour
and thrce-quarters before the sun. II Is
the only opportunity for observing him as
morning star before the year closes, and
his southern dcclination will increase the
difficulty Of picking him up. lie must be
looked for seven degrees north OF the sun
rise point. Mercury sets on the 1st OF the
month about twenty minutes after O'Clock
in the evening: at the close OF the month /
he rises at hali-past O'Clock IN the morn /
ing.
JUPITER is morning star till the 18th, 4
when, passing 10 the eastern side OF the .
sun. be becomes evening star. Ii Mercury /
deserves the palm on the planetary annals I
OF November as the hero Of the transit, /
Jupiter Will win equal renown for the |
most brilliant epoch in his course, his op- /
position with the sun. This grand event /
occurs at 1 O'Clock on the morning OF the /
18Th. when Jupiter will be nearer 10 us |
than he will again be for more than year
to come. He will then rise at sunset,
being opposite the sun, and no one
who looks at the eastern sky, al
most as soon rs the sun has diSar-
peared below the western, can fail TO recog
niEe the prince OF planets as, with males-
tic steps, he treads his sparkling path
way towards the zenith. In brlliiancy and
size he exceeds every star then visible in
the heavens, and wins from every star
razer tributes OF wonder and admiration
lt his magnificent appearance. He will be
! superb object in the heavens during the
frosty nights Of November, when the
moon is out OF the WAY, and for three
months to come be will ouirjyal every
member OF the starry host in the nightly
nageant. lie is only thirteen days behind
saturn In reaching the same goal, and
passes the meridian when in opposition at
orty-tWo minutes past II O'Clock, forty
minutes behind Saturn. Jupiter is now
,bout four hundred and eight million miles
rom the earth, instead Of five hundred J
md ninety-One million miles, as when
arthest away. one hundred and eighty
bree million miles, the difference in dis ,
ance. is something our finite powers can I
orm little conception OF, but it is OF insig- !
,ificant dimensions when used in celestial J
distances. For the distance Of the earth
rom the sun, more than ninety million I
,ijes Is the unit OF measure for computing ,
he distance OF the fixed stars, Alpha Cen 2
,uri the nearest star in the myriad host, :
eing estimated TO be more than two hun \
red thousand times as far from us rs the
nm. la comparison with these distant
bjnIng 0rbs, Jupiter Is our near neighbor,
nd his mean distance from the sun is not
luch more than five times greater than our !
wn. This superb planet now rises about : :
alf-past D O'Clock; at the end OF the month =
{ sets at half past O'Clock in the morning. y
NEPTUNE Is morning star until the TN, y
hen he takes bis turn in reaching opposi- y :
-, and thereafter takes his place among :
q evening stars, reaching the goal seven T.
,ys s.ter Saturn and six days before Jupi-
= Ie will readily be seen how nearly in b
Ie with the earth and the sun the three q
eat planes, Saturn, Neptune, and Jupi- al