Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-08-05
Planets in August.


| According to the Providence Journal Sat-
| urn is morning star this month, and wins the
place of honor, 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 3lst
of October. when he reaches what NAV be
called the starting point in his course. The
coming opposition will be observed with eager
interest, from the favorable conditions under
which it takes place. including the planets
approach to perihelion, his northern declina-
| ton, and his widely opening rings. Special
attention. will, therefore. be given to Saturn
| from the present time until he arrives at peri
helion which does not occur until 1885. On
| the 4th, Saturn comes into quadrature with
! the sun. The planet then rises about mid
night, and comes to the meridian about 6
O'Clock in the morning. Saturn rises now
not far from ten minutes after III o'clock; at
the end of the month he rises at a quarter af
| ter . o'clock. Neptune is morning star, and
| though invisible to the unaided eye, wins the
second place, as he is second of the morning
stars to appear above the horizon, following
| so closely on Saturns track that he rises on
ly nine minutes behind him. On the Sth
Neptune comes into quadrature with the sun,
four days after his nearest neighbor, ana
completes his circuit by arriving at opposi-
ton on the 9TH of November. Neptune rises
| now about nineteen minutes after II O'Clock;
at the end of the month at twenty-one min
utes after . o'clock.
Jupiter is morning star. and is the third of
tho snner;or brotberbood m mako his advent
ahovo ,ho oos,.rr hor;,on Uo nas.os hi.
halfway bonse or onaIro,nr. w nh tho ann an
tho I-tL ;s now n.ar enongh 20 nrasant . an
nerh anne.r,nc. 10 tho noloa eya and 20
shine out in all the glory of his moons and
hollis in tho tala.co,e Ue will hocom. tho
hr;obtsst ,ou ,hot o,,,r. ,ho s,.rr, sh,,,, &c
the late EVENING bours of Auars, and v;,h
Satnrn above and Mars he,ow him will form,
tho centr, of tho boam;,g trio Of nione,. Iong
before Venus rises 90 d;snn,e ,hn nre.am;.
nence. The increasing distance between
,Jupiter and Saturn ON one side and Jnp;,er
and Mars ON the other are noints worthy of
attention Jun;ter r;sas now .hout ,h;r,y.f,ve
minntes affer II o,cloct. NJ tho end ~ tho
month about n ouarter before ten o,clocL
Mars !. morniny star and tho latas, Of tho
sunerior nlanets to annear above the a.stern
horizon. He is travelling nortbward and on
the 7tb enters the sign Gemini. leaving his
three brother nlanets in the sion Taurus nor
reaching his onnos;,;on mill tho oetb of nn.
cember His ran;d moyement nnr,hwarJ Ia
worthy ot observa,:on Mars r;sas now = S.rv
minutes before midnight: at the end of the
month about IL o'clock.
Venus will reign through the morning
hours of the month M the radiant oueen Of
the stars. Sne il now moyino in what Is
called direct motion and anparentlv nj slow
rate so thar althouob annroach;ny IN. ann
she seems to keen At about the same distance
from him. rising through the month about
three hours before the sun. and remaining
visible until short time before his appear
ance. Venus rises now about tbirty.pjne
minutes after | o'clock: at the end of the
month she rises a few minutes after o'clock.
Mercury ia mornino star until the Last dav
of the month. when he comes into superior
conjunction with the sun. He reaches his
greatest western elongation on the fifth, and
is nineteen degrees distant from the sun. He
is then in one of the three favorable positions
during the wear for being seen. rising mn
hour and half before the sun. five degrees
north of the sunrise point and about two de-
grees south of the point from which Venus
rose an hour and half before Mercury
rises on the first of the month abont thirtv.
eight minutes after 3 o'clock. Mt the end az
the month he sets with the sun Mt tbirtv .five
minutes after six o'clock.
Uranus is evening star. the sole plapet that
plays this role. He is of little importance ON
the monthly record. but ia rap,tily drawing
near his conjunction with the ann He .ets
now at FORTY minutes mast a o'clock In the
evening: at the end of the month about a
quarter before 7 O'clock.
The Auvust moon f1lls nm tho 9th. She IA
in conjunction with Saturn on the 18th. with
Neptune and Jupiter on the 10th. with Mars
on the 18th, passing one degree and a quarter
north of Mars. The brilliant conjunction of
the moon will be on the morning Of the 2Oth.
when the moon passes about one degree
south of Venus: crescent and planet win
then make a picture of rare loyliness on the
,,orc;r, b., -
August NAV now show a brilliant record
like those that have frightened the annals of
previous months of the great wear 1881, for
not single planetary conjunction will occur
during it's passage. rare display of clus-
terng planets will, however. make the sum
mer nights a dream of beauty. When Mer-
curry is lost in the suns bright rays, the moon
respects in tnrn IN Satu,n .Tun;,er and Mar.