Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-10-11
PLANETS IN OCTOBER.
Morning and Evening StaFs-VenuE,
Saturn. Mars, Uranus and Jupf.
ter-The October Moon.

Venus is the evening star, and leads the
suns family of worlds throughout the month
in size, beauty and serene aspect, during her
short stay after sunset in the western sky.
Shells so far south that we do not see her
under the most favorable conditions, and
she illustrates the fact that the farther south
the planet is the shorter is her stay above
the horizon. She is now travelling from her
greatest eastern elongation to her inferior
conjunction, pursuing her retrograde course
with flying feet.
She diversIies her course with the only
important incident OF the month. On the
10Th, at o'clock in the afternoon, she is in
close conjunction with Alpha ScoTpH, bet
ter known as Antares, the familiar red star
In the Scorpion. The planet and star,
hanging side by side, will form an utter
esting study for star-gszers. Antsres may
be almost as easily found as Venus, being
brilliant red star east of the planet. 1t
will be interesting also to watch the gradual
approach Of planet and star, from night to
night, until they meet and pass on the
celestial highway, for they come nearer to-
gether than planet and star have done
during the entire year. The right ascen-
sion of Venus is 15h. 2Sm., her declination
is % degrees 38 minutes south, and her
diameter is 25 seconds 8.
Venus now sets not far from quarter
after O'Clock in the evening; at the end of
the month she sets about half past O'Clock.
Saturn is morning star and wins the
second place on the monthly list from the
exceeding interest attached to his move
ments. A few minutes before s o'clock he
may be seen serenely rising in the northeast,
taking on more superb aspect than ne has
manifested for nearly thirty years. Never
In the lifetime of present observers will a
more eligible opportunity occur for observ-
ing Saturn with the naked eye than may be
looked forward to during the coming
months.
Saturn rises few minutes before s O'Clock
10 the evening; at the end Of the month he
rises about a quarter before o'clock.
Jupiter is morning star, and glorious to
behold as he comes darting above the hOri =
zon two hours after Saturn, the most regal
star that adorns the heavens at the time Of
his rising.
Neptune is a morning star, rising on the
1st al. 7:30 o'clock in the evening, and on the
3lst at $50 O'Clock.
Uranus rises about 4:3O in the morning,
but Mercury is evening star until the 22d,
and then morning star for the rest of the
month.
Mars is the evening star and pursues his
slow course too near the sun to be percepti-
/ BILE to the most sharp-sighted star-gaZer.
| There is nothing In his present movements
| to interest the student. He has dwindled to
| insignificant proportions, lost his rudy hue,
/ and is of little account among his peers. A
| whole year must pass before Mars will be an
/ object of interest, and ten years must pass
/ before he takes on his most brilliant phase.
| The October moon fulls on the Both, at so
| minutes past 9 O'Clock IN the morning. The
| new moon of the 18th is in conjunction on
the 18Th with Mercury and Mars, with only
a half hours difference between the points
OF nearest approach to the planets. She is
in full conjunction with Venus on the 18th.
| The full m 1On of the 26th is in conjunction
| with Neptune and Saturn on the 9th, and
with Jupiter on the Both. The moon Is,
! however, so far away when she pays her re-
| spects to the planets that the cOnjunctions
are OF little importance, excepting to show
the apparent eastward movement Of the
moon as she makes her monthly circuit
| Providence Journal.
OCTOBER SKIES
The following predictions for October are
| extracted from the monthly report made by
the astronomer in charge Of the Harvard
| College Observatory: An interesting mete-
| oric display will occur on the 10Th of Octo-
| Der and few nights succeeding. On the
| occasion last year our observers recorded
| them at the rate OF nearly one hundred sn
hour. They will rsdiate from point over
| the head Of Orion, are of medium bright
| ness, and have a rapid motion without any
persistent stresks. From II O'Clock till
moonrise will be the only opportunity
| of examining them. On the evening OF
the 10Th, or about O'Clock, Venus passes
very close to AutOres alpha scorpD, almost
and perhaps quite, Occulting it. On the
last day Of the month che reaches her great
| est brilliancy, and afterwards fades as she
| approaches the transit. The morning sky
Is the interesting one now, Besides the
great comet, there Is the grounAGf h.!:Il.i ant
| stars of which Orion is the central figure,
now reinforced by the bright planets Jupi-
ter and Saturn. At the rate Of four min
utes each night as the earth moves around
the sun this group is being brought
to rise earlier, so that we will soon
have it In the evening. Barnard's comet,
| still telescope, but getting brighter, occu-
pies place in the group near Procyon In
| the Little Dog. Its position on the 29lh is
| K. A. hours 49 minutes 50 seconds, and
declInation plus 2 degrees 10 minutes. 1t
looks like patch Of fog with slight con-
densstion near enc end. The phenomena
| of Jupiter's satellites are beginning to be
plentiful and conspicuous enough to be
watched with interest. On the nights of
| the 18th, 18th, oath and 3lst they are par
ticularlY numerous, though all of them
occur now during the latter part Of the
night.