The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1882-07-06
ASTRONOMICAL NOTES.
Planets for July.

AL the planets in the neighbarhooi of the
sun. -Four of them-Mercury. Jupiter, Saturn. and
Neptune-are morning stars, and three-vcnus,
Mars and Uranus, are evening stars.
MERCURY
will be seen in the morning sky about the 10th,
when he will have reached his greatest western
elongaticn, being then zoe west of the On the
18th he is at his ascending node. Mercury is g.
north of the slender crescent of the old moon, ON
the 18th. On the l5th he crosses our meridian at
1912, a. Mercury appears very small now; his
disc measures only eight seconds of n minute.
VENUS
is now sufficiently brilliant be with the naked
eye even at noon, when the glorious sends forth
his brightest rays. She looks like drop of liquid
silver hanging from the arch of the sky. glance
at this beautiful world, suspended in space pays
for the trouble of finding her. Any person can
this bewitchns star. if her position be pretty
curatey known. The astronomer finds her in n
glance or two; but he is not the only person who
can see Venus in the daytime for the unprneticed
eve will detect her beautiful form, after little
searching. About halfpast two in the afternoon is
best time to search for Venus. She will then be on
the meridian, and about l5' south of the point di
rectly over the observers head. Venus is only l.
~ 30" north of Regulus, on the Nth; the most
of the new moon on the 18th. Uranus, or Herschel,
receives close call from her. the 30th. Venus
disc now measures II" in diameter. Next December,
IL will measure GIL 4"-and will appear like
very small new moon, if seen through telescope
has passed Regulus and is rapidly marching through
the stars Of Leo He will be of little interest this
month.
JUPITER
rises in the morning. about an hour and half before
the sim. lie is faint yet and does not shine as he
did in the sky of JanUury and February. Towards
the latter part of the month"; Jupiter will he toera
bly, brilliant and will be easily found. His disc
measures 80, one-half of a minute His real d.
ameter is 10000 miles. A piece of wire of that
length would wrap over three times around our
globe, and forty times around the moon. The silver
crescent of the old moon hangs l. IL 5" south of
Jupiter, on the morning of the 18th. Jupiter's
moons are yet hard to
SATURN
rises about four hours before the sun. lie shines
about 100 south of the Pieindes in Taurus. He will
he brilliant, this summer, he travels on to peri
helion. Saturn is - q o. south of the moon, on
the 18th. lie measures l6" of a minute. Saturn is
the brightest of the morning stars. He crosses
meridian at s:5I, a M.
THE MOON
is new on the 18th, at l. a. On the 18th, she is
39 AZ" north of Beta Scorpii. Every month, she
passes few seconds nearer this star, and in Septem
Der this little star will pass behind the southern
limb of the moon. This is called an occultation.
more interesting show of this kind Octo-
Der 18TH when that star will go still closer to the
moons centre. Antares is s. % ~ south of the
moon on the 18th. Antares is that fiery red star
directly south, at about 9, p. IN. 1t marks the posi-
ton of the heart of the Scorpion. p. L. q.