Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-12-02
Planets for December.
From the Proyideuce Journal.

venus Will be evening star until the 9th. and
morning star the rest Of the MONTH There will
be no hesitation In determining which of the
planets leads the list for the movements of Venus
are more important than those Of all the other
planets combined. or indeed of any other celes-
tial event, even the advent of another comet
exceeding inpropOrtions our present august yisi-
tor. On the 9th. the grand epoch occurs. for
then the planet reaching her inferior eoniunc-
Ion, makes a transit over the suns face No
Intelligent person who realizes its Importance
VIII fail to do as mach towards the celebration
of the rare event as TO follow the planets course
with the all OF Il piece of smoked glass ut some
time during the passage. 1t is the Simplest sight
iinaSiIa5e.a tiny black dot making Its way over
tue sun. tut the solution of the great problem
OF the sun distance NAY hinge on the seem
ihe'y uiiiinpGTtaEIt occurrence. Venus will APP
pear on the suns limb over the whole United
States at nearly the same moment of absolute
time, st about five minutes before o'clock i'm
the morning: she will leave it and the transit
! VIII end about 8 o'clock, Washington mean
time. The tables OF Venus are not quite per-
ieet. ana therefore the predicted time may diff
fer a minute or two from the observed time.
The l0cGl time is easily deduced from Washing
ton time. The longitude Of the place Of obser-
walton must he found. and then to places east
of washington the transit will commence ear
Her. and to places west of Washington later &C
cnrding to the longitude. ever degree making
difference OF four minutes. Thus in Boston the
transit will begin twenty-tour minutes later
and in New York twelve minutes later than in
Washington.
At the first contact Venus cuts into the solar
border; at the first internal contact she has
passed into his domain: at the second internal
contact she has crossed his disc and touches his
western border; at the last contact she makes
her egress and is seen no more. Snch is the
Importance attached by astronomers to the
transit that millions of dollars will probably be
appropriated by the governments of differ
cnt countries and spent by private in
diviiuals in observing the phenome-
non. Scientific observers will be num-
bered by thousands. while no figures
can compute the labor and pains-takn0 involved
in the intricate processes that enter into the
mathematical calculations. All that the most
saurune astronomers expect to accomplish Is
the right to add or subtract less than the tenth
of second from the suns paraleX as now re-
ceived. though this iEfnitisimal angular error
represents something like half million miles
in the solar distance. At half the stations in
the most favorable localities the weather will
prevent observation. But at the other half all
that human power can do in wrestling the secrets
OF the sun Will be accomplished, and the only
opportunity that will occur for one hundred
and twenty-five years will be improved.
Alter the transit, We shall lose the faireSt of
the stars from the evening sky; but only for d
short time. In a few DAYS she will reappear in
the east as morning star: at the close OF the
month she will bea superb object IN the morn
ing sky. rising two hours and a half before the
SUM- and sharing with the comet if the celestial
visitor has not left for PARTS unknown in the
chief attractions OF the celestial view Venus
sets now few minutes before 5 O'Clock in the
evening; at the end Of the month she rises
about quarter before 5 o'clock i'm the morning.
Jupiter is morning star until the 18TH and
evening star the rest of the month On the
18th. at o'clock in the morning, he comes INTO
opposition with the sun. the most interesting
epoch in his course to terrestrial observers. The
giant planet, the earth and the sun are then ina
straight line, with the earth in the center. He
is then at his nearest point to US. and appears
in his brightest phase, a supeTbly brilliant star,
OutShning every other star in the heavens eX-
ceptihg Venus. At opposition he will rise at
sunset and continue to be visible the entire
night. He has found many admirers during
November from those who bestirred themselves
early for a sight of the comet as he looked rra-
ciOusly down from the zenith upon the intruder
on the solar domains. A sad fate would over
take the Genet il it should approach too near
the planet as it recedes from sight for it's
orbit would be contracted into an epse.
and it would be a prisoner within the solar sys-
TEN until it broke up into meteOrS. Jupiter
Will be in fine condition for observation during
the whole winter. casting a shadow in dark
ened room and revealing his moons in an Opera
or spy-glass. Teescopists will hnd rich mate
rial in the temperance of the great red spot
in the exquisite cOlOring of the belts that diver
slfy his disc and in the incessant changes taking
place among his satellites as they Oyertake
pass. meet, hide and recede frcm each other in
endless maZes. As soon as the transit is passed
the star of imperial JOvc will be in the ascend
ant. rising in the east as soon as the sun has
set. and Teigning supreme on mOonless nights.
Jupiter rises now about quarter before 6
O'Clock in the evening: at the end Of the month
he sets at twenty-One minutes after o'clock in
the morning.
Saturn is evening star during the month
He pursues his quiet course as a beaming star
shining with soft radiance, and still retains his
position near the Pleiades. He moves SO slowly
that he is nearly two years and q half in passing
through constellation, SO that it is easy to fol-
low his track. In the telescope he is magnifi-
cent beyond description. as he lies softly era
died in his wde-open rings, surrounded by his
moons. Cur sun is visible as dot in the Milky
Way to the inhabitants of other worlds cluster
ing around other suns. but the pride of our sys-
TEN, the ring-plant Saturn is never seen from
any other system outside our own. Saturn sets
at half-past 5 o'clock in the morning; at the
end of the month at twenty-three minutes past
3 o'clock.
Neptune is evening star during the month and
is still in the close vicinity of Saturn, making
his transit fourteen minutes earlier. Neptune
sets about quarter past o'clock: at the end
OF the month he sets about eleven minutes after
3 o'clock.
Uranus is morning star during the month, and
reaches his quadrature. or halfway house. on
the western Side or the sun on the 18TH at l
O'Clock in the morning. Uranus rises about half
an hour after midnight; at the end of the month
about quarter before IL o'clock in the eve
ming.
Mars is evening star until the 10TH and NOR
ming star the rest of the month. On the 10th he
is in conjunction with the sun and commences
the long path that leads to his opposition in
January. 1884. For the earth has tn travel twice
around her orbit and then travel fifty DAYS more
to come into line between the sun ard Mars.
Therefore it is 6S7 days from one opposition to
the next On the 9Th, the day before the transit,
Mars is in close injunction with Venus passing
g south but the planets are too near the sun to
be visible. Mars sets at thirty-scYeE minutes
past O'Clock in the evening; at the end ii the
month he rises a few minutes after O'clock in
the morning.
Mercury is morning star unit! the 18TH and
evening star the rest Of the month He is O
busy member of the brotherhood On the 9th.
he is in conjunction with Venus. passing 10 ~
south. On the 18th. at midnight, he is in con-
junction with Mars. passing 80 south On the
10th. at midnight he is In superior conjunction
with the sun. passing his eastern side and be-
coming evening star. Mercury rises at half
past six OF clock in the morning; at the end of
the month he sets a. ten minutes past five
O'Clock in the evening
THE MOON.