Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-11-05

The PlAness In Novemher.
AN INTERESTING DIsPLAY-THE SUN AND NOON
TAKE PART IN THE NOVEMBER SHOW.
Mercury is evening star until the 7th, and then
| morning star for the rest Of the month. He wins
the place Of honor on the November record, for
on the It'll, he makes Q transit across the suns
disc. Unfortunately the transit commences at
O'Clock In the evening, when sun and planet
are safely below the horizon In this longitude,
and 1t Is invisible; but dweliers on the Pacific
coast, II the sky is clear, will have Q fine oppor-
tunity for observing the phenomenon. Observ-
ers fortunate enough to have access to rood
telescope will see Mercury passing over the suns
lace, looking like black ball, and taking about
five hours for the passage.
Jupiter Is morning star till the 18th when
passing to the eastern side of the sun he be-
comes evening star. Ii Mercury deserves the
palm on the planetary annals OF November as
the hero of the transit, Jupiter will win equal
renown for the most brilliant epoch In his course,
his opposition with the sun. This grand event
occurs at O'Clock on the morning of the 18th
when Jupiter will be nearer to us than he will
again be tor more than year to come He
will then rise at sunset. being opposite the sun.
and no one who looks at the eastern sky. almost
as soon as the sun has disappeared be-
low the western, can fail to recognize
the prince of planets as with majestic
steps he treads his sparkling pathway
size he exceeds every star then visible in the
heavens, and wins from every star-gazcr
tributes of wonder and admiration at his
inagnincent appearance. He will be a superb
ooyect IN the heavens during the frosty
| nights of November. when the moon is ont
OF the way, and for three months to come he
WIN outriVal every member of the starry host in
the nightly pageant. He is only Is DAYS behind
"a. saturn IN reaching the same goal, and passes
,nx ,,eliolan when In opposition at forty two
fa.Ax- l,,l,,~
Saturn. Jupiter is now about four hundred and
elght million miles from the earth instead of
flve hundred and ninety-one million miles, az
wnen farthest away. One hundred and eighty
three million miles. the difference in distance is
something our infinite powers can form little
conception OF, but it is of insignificant dmen-
sions when used in celestial distances For the
distance OF the earth from the SUM- more than
ninety million miles, is the unit of measure for
computing the distance Of the fixed stars Alpha
Centauri. the nearest star i'm the myriad host
being estimated to be more than two hundred
thousand times as far from us as the sum- In
comparison with these distant shining orhs. Ju-
plter is our near neighbOr and his mean distance
from the sun is not much more than five times
greater than our own. This superb planet now
rises about half-past o'clock; at the end of the
month he sets at half-past o'clock in the MORN
ing.
Neptune is morning star until the It'll. when
ne takes his turn in reaching opposition. and
thereafter takes his place among the evening
stars. reaching the goal seven days after Saturn
and six days before Jupiter. 1t will readily be
seen now nearly in line with the earth and the
sun the three great planets Saturn Neptune
and Jupiter, are at the present time, and it will
DE interesting to note if the prepOnderance of
attraction on the same side of the great
luminary leads to any perceptible increase of
commOtion on his stOrm-tOssed surface.
Saturn is evening star, and still retains his
place as the leader of the five planets travelling
10
brilliant appearance if his rival Jupiter were
out OF the way. But he is now in one of the
pest aspects he ever presents, and deserves
careful study when at opposition for four years
to come. No one will have any trouble in re-
cognizing him few degrees above Jupiter, for
he shines with serene light that distinguishes
him from the stars twickling around him. He
has passed his prime and will soon glow with
mllder radiance, as he travels from the earth
and approaches the sun. He sets now about 5
o'clock in the morning. at the close of the
month he sets at 3 o'clock.
Mars is morning star, and increasing in inter-
est as he takes on a more rudy hue and larger
dimensions. His increasing northern declination
is to be noted, for he is now seven degrees far
Their north than Jupiter, and twelve degrees
farther north than Saturn. He must therefore
be looked for in the northeast, rising quarter
before O'Clock, and may be easily recognized
by his fiery color and the line he forms with
Jupiter and Saturn above him. Mars now rises
quarter before o'clock; at the close of the
month he rises at a quarter before o'clock.
Uranus is morning star, and his movements
during the month possess little interest. He
rises now at 2 o'clock in the morning: at the end
OF the month he rises soon after midnight.
Venus is morning star, and appears each
morning later above the horizon as she draws
nearer superior conjunction with the sun. She
measures now eleven seconds in diameter while
Jupiter measures fort -six seconds. But her
day OF triumph will come when. i'm December |
1882, she reaches her inferior conjunction, and |
treats the world to grand display at her transit
She rises now at quarter after O'Clock i'm the |
morning; at the end Of the month she rises at |
half-past o'clock.
The Sun is also an actor in the scenes that di- |
versify the experience of his family of worlds |
during the month, on the 21st, when the charm |
ing phenomenon Of an annular eclipse occurs |
But the golden ring of light surrounding the |
moons dark shadow will only be visible in the |
Southern Ocean and in the southern part of |
South America.
The November moon fulls on the 5th She is |
in conjunction with Saturn on the same day, and |
is near Neptune and Jupiter on the 9th. She is |
in conjunction with Mars on the 10TH and with |
Uranus on the 10th. She is near Venus on the |
18th, two days before her change, when early |
risers may behold the morning star and the sen- |
der crescent in the breaking of the dawn. She |
pays her respects to Mercury on the Goth, planet |
and moon being difficult to see in the light of |
the approaching sun.-Pr0Uide7ace Journal.
The Northern Pacific.
Tho Halana of riu |