Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-02-02
Planets i'm February,

Venus is evening star snd easily wins the
place or honor In the planetary preservation
that gFaces the February sky. Two imp3rtant
eiochs IN htr course occur this month. o. the
2oih she arrives at her greatest eastern elo1ca
Ion or most distant part from the sun on Ine
!s.h or las. July, venus was in superior con
Junction, feing then al her greatest distance
Ioln tht earth and rising and setting with the
suu Out too near him 10 be visible She then
las SGD 10 his eastern side aud became evening
star. She was FAR enough away 10 be seen nj
the ives ern twilight in September and eyer
since has been Teceding from the sun on her
eastern track, increasing all the time In s'ze
ana bIilliahcy. On the 10th, she reaches the
end Ct her Invisible CHAIN, and completes one
Ea1 hef course as evening star. After this re-
Nerslng htr movement. she approaches the sun
untll her Inferior conjunction on the 80 OF May,
Wht u her role as evening star is coIapIetad the
process occupying nearly Ten months
The other important epoch In the February
phases OF Venus, Is her conjunction with Juni-
yer, when occurs exactly at midnight, on the
evening OF the 2lst The two planets viii then
meet and pass each other. Venus being a little
more than three degrees north OF JupIter
venus now sets al 9 o'clock: al the end OF the
month about quarter before 20 O'clock
Jupiter is evening star. and IL ne cannot
carry of the palm for the radiance or MS snin-
Ing, he contributes 10 the annals OF the month
extraordinary Illustrations or continued ele-
mental warfare which may reasonably
strengthen the faith OF believers In the theory
or planetary influence as partial cause OF the
sun spot period. IL Jupiter is Increasing his
approaching their perihelia, and pulling upon
The sun with combined though lesser attTac-
ton, and IL Will not be strange II the present
coholllons OF disturbance continue 10 milier
form for some time to come. SHOCKS OF earth
quake sun ag1tate the domain OF Agram and its
vicinity, where the latest reports announce
that houses are topping and the Inhabitants
are panic stricken. A Slight cartbouakp in
Maine. and portentOus underground rum bling
In Texas give evidence OF internal commotfon In
our own boIderS, While Mount Baker Ia the ex-
ann nnr hIIll &c
burst OF volcanic fame. Tie feature of the Ia ar
month was however, the marvellous stormy
weather that prevailed in many parts or l.
rope. especially In London. Nothing like IT has
Teen know in this generation.
Other parts OF Europe shared 10 the visit alton
Inc mediterranean was stirred to its depths:
Spain lost millions from disastrous inundations:
ana Russla reports million Peasants IN want
or 1000 et Samara, and three quarters OF a mil
lion starving at SaTator. The sad experience
mas us parallel In our home records. The Their
mOmeter IN N1Sc0nSin recorded a Temperature
81 degrees below zero, a whole VILLAGE was
buried In snoWdr1ft on the slope or the Blue
Ri0ge, the snowfall a. the south was unprec--
0ehled, ana the remal cable storm OF snow aud
sleet In New YORK was too disastrous I'm its con-
sequences and is TOO fresh In the memory TO
require description. The meteorological she
nomena or the season sUrpass any simil ar rec
ordS In the memory or the present. generation
anu deserve the careful attention OF Intelligent
observers
Jupiter. on the evening OF the 81. gets IN a
piCoSanC telescope observers
approaching very near Sixth magnitude star
10 the constellation OF the Fishes known as IS
flsclum. In some parts or the world as 10
England, be Will probably pass directly over
tht star. ThlS Will be an OcCultation. In this
country he Will just touch the little star THIS
Is called an appulse. from a Latin word that
means striking a ainsJ."
Saturn Is evening star and presents fay
pot t or interest during the month as nP FOL
lows closely IN the Wake or the more brilliant
Jupiter. III llke manner reeeiiug from the edrth
AID approaching conjunction with the sun.
inc lesSen ing distance between the two
planets Is point TO be specially noticed
saturn now sets at Il O'Clock. At the end OF the
month about half-past O'Clock
Mercury Is evening star, aud Ike Venus
reaches his greatest eastern elOngaLi0n Oh the
2Sd He may possibly be picked up Tor d fe.y
nights before and after the 25d as ne Is taea
above the horizon for about al hour and halI
after sunset tie must pe looked for about ten
CegreSS north or the point where tue sun went
Gown, aid about the same distance south nf
venus, and az about half The distance between
venus and the horizon. Mercury sets now at
half-past D O'Clock: at the end OF he m)ntn
shortly after O'Clock.
Mars is morning star, and is com ng towards
us, though presenting little TO interest OBJ
servers. he is slowly gaining In brightness
and size and may be easily recogu1zei by his
rudy light, rising about an hour and a half
before sunrise. He rises now about a Quarter
before O'Clock a few degrees south OF the
point OF sunrise; at the last OF the month he
rises about O'Clock.
Uranus is morning star and is fast drawing
near his opposition with the sun, when bright
eyes may discern his presence without the aid
OF telescope He rises now at O'clock In the
evening; at the end OF the month a. q O'clock.
The February moon rails on the 9Th having
commenced her course on the 18Th OF January
She threads her way inpartially among the
clustering members OF the solar family paving
ner court 10 venus on The "a. Jupiter on the 81.
Saturn on the 4th and Neptune on the 9Th but
the conJunct1onS are not near enough to be OF
special interest, the moon passing from five to
the day after the full. she passes near Uranus
and near Mars on the morning OF the 18th