The Portland daily press., 1882-06-05
The Starry Heavens.
Movements of the Planets in June.
Providence Journal

scope But those who are familiar with the po-
sition and movements of the planets soon learn
to know the exact place in the heavens where
they may be found, and can follow their steps
in the invisible star depths almost as accurate
ly as when they are shining brightly from a
clear sky. Neptune is so distant that the d.
ameter of the sun, as seen from his domain, IS
only little larger than that of Venus when IN
her brightest phase as seen from the earth. Ii
is, however, only necessary to know his right
ascension and declination in order to ind his
exact position. Thus his right ascension is now
3h. 1m.; his declination is 15o 16' north. ANY
good star-chart will show that his place among
the stars is in the sign Taurus, and near the
border of the constellation Aries, with no visi-
BILE stars near him. AS it takes him nearly
fourteen years to travel through a constella-
ton, it is easy to keep track of him. He is
now travelling from conjunction with the sun,
which he reached on the 9th of May, to opposi-
ton which he will reach in November. Nep-
tune rises now few minutes before half-past
o'clock in the morning; at the end OF. the
month he rises at twenty-five minutes before
o'clock.
Saturn is morning star and keeps near Nep-
tune during the whole month, Neptune now
passing the meridian at eighteen minutes past
10 o'clock, and Saturn following at twenty-five
minutes past 10 o'clock. They are almost as
near at the close of the month, Neptune max
ing his transit at thirty-one minutes after s
o'clock, and Saturn following at forty-four
minutes after o'clock. At present Saturn is
not of much account but in the later portion
of the month he will be an object of interest to
observers, for he rises nearly three hours be-
fore the sun. His path among the stars may be
followed in the same way as that indicated for
Neptune. His right ascension is h. 81 M,
and his declination is 100 90 north. He will
be found in the constellation Taurus, forming
a triangle with the Pleiades and Aldebaran:
He possesses an advantage over his distant
brother, for he can be distinctly seen in the
beautiful June mornings. He is coming to-
wards us, travelling like Neptune from conjunc-
ton to opposition, and though comparatively
small and faint, we know that his aspect will
change, and before the summer closes he will
be worth seeing. Saturn rises now few min
utes after half-past 3 o'clock in the morning;
at the close of the mouth he rises quarter be-
fore o'clock.
Jupiter is morning star, and is an hour be-
hind Saturn in the time OF rising. His move
ments are of little account during the month,
for he is is now too near the sun to be visible,
and though far enough away to put on a lovely
appearance in the morning sky at the end OF
the month, he is not of much importance on the
records. But he will become an object OF abb
sorbing attention when he comes near enough
for good view. Telescopes, both large and
small, will then be pointed to his beaming face
to discover if any change has come to the mys-
FERROUS markings on his disc, whose purport in
his physical economy no one has yet been able
n dota 'Tupitar,G diqmqtar
ures thirtv-one seconds of a degree. At his OPP
position, in December, it will measure forty
five seconds. Jupiter rises few minutes be-
fore half-past 4 o. clock in the morning; at the
end of the month he rises at o'clock.
Venus is evening star, and after the compan-
ionship of Mercury for week of two, reigns SUI
preme in the western sky, the fairest and
brightest among the twenty-five hundred stars
that sparkle in the azure vault on clear, moon
less nights. No directions are required for
finding her position in the sky. The observer
simply needs to cast his eyes upward in the
northwest soon after sunset, and he will
quickly discern her shining face before any
other star has put in an appearance. She will
grow brighter as the shades of evening gather,
while crowds of shining attendants come forth
to bear her company until she slowly sinks be-
low the horizon, and the evening sky loses the
brightest star that ever beams from its fathom-
less depths. Those who wish to trace her
course on star-maps will find her present place
in right ascension Oh. 27m., in declination 24o
41.north, and in the vicinity of third magni-
tude star in the constellation Gemini. She has
now reached her extreme point north, and is
moving rapidly south. Instead of being two
degrees north of the sun, as at present, she will
be at the end of the month four degrees south
of him. Any observer can note the change BY
watching the point at which she sets night af-
ter night. She is travelling from superior con-
junction to her eastern elongation, and is,
therefore, getting farther from the sun and
nearer the earth, as may be easily seen by not
ing her increasing brilliancy and size, and the
increasing length of the time she is above the
horizon ia the evening. Nothing disturbs the
harmony Of her course during the month, for
she pursues the even tenor of her way without
drawing near to any member OF the planetary
family. Venus sets at twenty-three minutes
past o'clock in the evening: at the close OF
the month she sets at half-past 9 o'clock.
Mars is evening star, and gets up special
exhibition for the benefit of star-gazers during
this month strikingly free from events on plan
etary records. On the 9th, at 2 o'clock in the
morning, he is in conjunction with Regulus or
Alpha Leonis, the leading brilliant in the con-
stellation Leo. At the time of conjunction
Mars is forty-fve mil utes north of Regulus,
but is then below the horizon. The most ia
vorable time for observation will be at o'clock
or near that time, on the evening of the Goth.
Planet and star will then be nearing the hori-
zon, though the moon, three days before the
FULL will interfere with the exhibition. Regu-
lus is the first magnitude star in the handle OF
the well-known sickle, and can be readily
found. Mars is red star little more than forty
five minutes north. This distance may be est.
mated approximately by rememberin that the
average diameter of the moon is about thirty
| two minutes. Regulns is one of the few bright
stars whose path lies near the ecliptic, being
only half degree from it. As the planets
move in belt extending eight degrees each
side of the ecliptic, 1t is not uncommon for
them to pass near its track. There is nothing
else noteworthy on the Marian record, except
the conjunction with Regulus He pursues his
slow course towards conjunction with the sun,
travelling SO slowly that he will not reach it un-
til December, and is, meantime, dwindling to
his smallest proportions. Mars sets now at hall
past II o'clock in the evenings at the end OF
the month he sets at twenty minutes past IL
o'clock.
Uranus is evening star, and has travelled far
away from our territory, so that he can no long
er be seen with the unaided eye. His monoto-
nous course is enlivened by an incident. He is
in duadrature with the sun on the 9th, at
o'clock in the morning. He is then halfway
between opp osition and conjunction, or ninety
degrees from each. He is on the meridian
about 6 o'clock in the evening, and nearly hall
his western journey is accomplished when it is
dark enough to see the stars. His right ascen-
sion is 11h. M, and his declination Is 60 50'
north; it will therefore be seen that his position
in the sky changes slowly, for it takes him sew
Oh years W pass tuAouSh q OoAosOAiSpiohs Via
nus sets about quarter before l O'Clock in the
morning; at the end of the month he sets at II
O'Clock in the evening.
Mercury is evening star until the 2Sth, and
then becomes morning star. He continues to
be- in an unusually favorable position for obser-
walton during the first ten days OF the month.
On the list, at O'Clock in the morning, he
reaches his greatest eastern elongation, being
23o 3O' east Of the sun. As his northern decli-
nation is at the same time 250 L, he be seen
more distinctly than when, as sometimes hap
pens, he is 29o from the sun at his eastern elon-
cation, and much farther south than at present.
He may be readily found on any clear evening
for nearly two weeks to come, being now about
three degrees farther north than the sun, and
setting an hour and three-quarters after the
sun. Venus will be guide to his position for
few days, being little distance southeast of
him. But the paths of the two planets have
already begun to diverge, Mercury having
reached his greatest limit eastward and retrac-
ing his steps, while Venus still keeps on her
eastward course. Mercury is again close to
the sun on the 28th, when he reaches inferior
conjunction, passes between the earth and the
sun. and reappears on his western side as morn
ing star. 1t takes this swift-footed planet only
eighty-seyen days to revolve around the sun,
and only one hundred and fifteen days to COM
plete synodic revolution, from inferior con-
junction round to inferior conjunction again.
Mercury sets now at a quarter after 8 o'clock
in the evening; at the end of the month he
rises at half-past o'clock in the morning.
Tho Juna yuoon fuIls on the lat daV of the