The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1882-03-11
THE STARRY HEAVENS.
Aspects OF Our Planetary System for
March.
From the Scientific American.l
VENUS

March.
From the Scientific Americana
VENUS
is evening star, and ranks first in i'm
portanee In planetary records not only
during the month but during the year.
She was in superior conjunction with
the sun on the 10th of February, when.
passing 10 his eastern side, she COM
menced her course as evening star.
She is now so near the sun as to be
hidden in his rays, but as soon as she
emerges from his close vicinity she
will be beautiful object i'm the even
ing SKY, and will reign as queen OF
the stars IN the western heavens un-
I'll she reaches her inferior conjunc-
ton on the 9th OF December. Her
transit then occurs, the grand astro-
nomical event of the year, and one Of
the greatest astronomical events ofthe
nineteenth century. 1t will be safe
10 say that no oh jecl in the haaYens
will receive, during the year, any
thing like the attention that will be
bestowed upon this peerless planet
Astronomers have been busy for years
in getting ready for the transit for
the whole Western world, where the
sky is clear, viii be in sunlight during
some portion of the passage. The
busy notes of preparation are now he
ing sounded In many of the American
observatories, where every aid that
science can command will be utilized
for the occasion, while European as
tronomers have already formed their
plans, received appropriations for the
great expenses 10 be incurred, and
chosen stations which are best adapted
for observation, as well as those that
are at extreme distances from each
other.
The phenomenon is not sublime
and awe-inspiring, like total eclipse
of the sun; nor sinply beautiful, liNe
the conjunction OF two planets; nor
magnificent like the telescopic Saturn.
The naked eve observer, looking at
the sun through smoked glass, will
see tiny black spot passing over his
face. The telescope observer viii see
black round ball, as large as the
ful-glown moon, making its way
across the great luminary. The phe-
nomenon TO the ordinary observer
will be only this and nothing more.
But thousands OF scientific Observers
will eagerly note, as II life depended
upon the accuracy, the second when
Venus touches the suns edge, the mo-
ment when she Is fully embarked up
on his disk, the exact time OF her pas
sage, and the second when her retreat
ing edge touches the suns edge, "a
wall Iha ltnaa Ia hon th.s "A ii fsnftfnHf
occurs and the exhibition closes.
There are two principal reasons for the
importance attached to a transit Of
Venus. One is that 1t is considered
the best means for determining the
suns distance; the other is that it l.
extremely rare in its occurrence.
Venus and Mercury are the ouly
planets that can make transits across
the sun, for their orbits are within
that OF the earth, and they are there
fore called inferior or inner planets.
In every synodic revolution, or where
earth, planet and star come in,o line,
these planets must pass between us
and the sun, the point being known
AS inferior conjunction. Venus ac-
complishes this period in five hundred
and eighty-feur days. But her orbit,
Sor path, is inclined TO the ecliptic or
suns path, and. mt inferior conjunc-
ton, she ordinarily passes above or
below the sun and is invisible. When
she is in inferior conjunction, and
also at one OF her nodes or crossing
points, as Ia December, she passes
directly between us and the sun aud
makes transit. The transils at the
descending node are in December,
those at the ascending node i'm June.
The intervals between are eight and
two hundred and thirly-five years.
The transit OF 1874 occurred eight years
ago; the next transit after that OF 1882
at the same node will be in 2ll7. The