The Portland daily press., 1882-03-07
The Starry Heavens.
Movements of the Planets for March.
Providence Journal

A
ond is his perihelion. His opposition occurs
elevenlo'clock ON heeyening of the 9th. He thea
rises above the eastern horizon as the sun sinka
below the western, being seen at point in the
| heavens opposite the sun, as the word opposi.
| tion implies. II we could observe this planet
from the sun, and had eyes to pierce the deptA
OF space, we should see the earth and Uranxs
in straight line from our point Of observation.
This is the position of the sun, earth and plan.
ct at every opposition in the case of the GUITAR
planets and they are then at their nearest
point to the earth. The increased nearneS
makes a marked difference in the appearance
Of Mars, Jupiter snd Saturn, as has been bess-
tifully illustrated during the autumn and win
ter. In the case of Uranus, who, even at his
nearest approach is nearly seventeen hundred
million miles away, opposition simply makes
him more easily picked up by a naked-eye oh.
server, for he never appears larger than .
sixth-magnitude star, the smallest in the scale
of visible stars. He may now be found on any
clear, moonless night, still plodding on in his
slow course in Leo, constellation plainly REQ
ognized by the well-known stars within tn
boundaries forming the Sickle. His right a
eension at perihelion is 11h 8m, and his dssli-
nation is 60 "a north. Those who have stas
maps can mark his exact position on the ohart,
and will find him in a line with Regulus, the
brilliant star in the handle of the Sickle, and
forming nearly right-angled triangl with
Regulus and Denebola, star of the second
magnitude in the tail of Leo About nine
o'clock is favorable time for observation, ss
Leo is then about halfway between the hoTi-
zon and the zenith. The oppositions of UrAn.
us occur about four and a half days later each
year, SO that it is easy to keep the track Of
them.
But the important event of the month Is the
perihelion of Uranus, which occurs on the 10Th,
when this distant planet sweeping around his
vast circuit reaches his nearest point TO the
sun. AS this event takes place but once In
eighty-four years, the time Of his revolutieny
none of those now old enough to understand
the movement will be alive to observe its reper
tition in 1866. AT perihelion, Uranus Is l60.
900, 900 miles nearer the sun than at aphelion,
and as the present perihelion and opposition
occur within nineteen days of each other, he Is
about the same distance nearer the earth. But
though approaching US by a space of which hg-
cures give no idea, his nearer neighborhood
will change his appearance but slight degree.
Optical instruments must develop finer powers
before our distant brother planet will DO
brought near enough to discern markings On
his disk, or to understand the vagaries OF his
four moons, with their remarkable peculiarity
of revolving in orbits nearly perpendicular 10
his eCliptic. Uranus now rises about eleven
minutes after six o'clock in the evening; at the
end of the month he sets few minutes after
four o'clock in the morning.
Mercury is morning star, and the only planet
that fills this role throughout the entire month
He wins the second place on the list, for he y
in one of the three favorable positions for os-
servation as morning star that occur during the
year. The two inner planets, Venus and Msr-
curry, as viewed from the earth, seem TO oscil-
late in straight lines east and west OF the sun,
their extreme points of distance being called
elongations. When west of the sun they are
morning stars, when east they are evening
stars Mercury reaches his greatest western
elongation, or most distant point from the sun
on the 21st. He will be charming object in
the morning sky between the middle and close
of the month, and will reward observers for
getting up early to take peep at him, IL he Ia
as clearly visible, and takes on as many varied
tints, as distinguished his appearance In the
February evening sky. He must be looked foE
eleven degrees south OF the sunrise point and
from three-quarters to an hour before six
O'Clock; at the close OF the month he rises 90
five o'clock.
Saturn is evening star, and leads the triolof
outer planets that will soon cluster closely
around the sun There is nething noteworthy
in his movements during the month, as he So
renely pursueS his way, travelling all the Tins
farther from the earth, and diminish
ing in interest as an object OF OBJ
The great telescopes which have been
busy with his moons, rings and belts will turn
their attention to subjects more favorably stu
ted, and wait till next autumn, when the ring
eirdled planet will present more brilliant as
poets than those which this year have made
him the pet subject for star-gazers. he passes
the meridian now about four o'clock In the
afternoon, so that he is well on the westward
track when he makes his appearance among
the stars. Saturn sets now at half-past ten
o'clock; at the close of the month he sets about
quarter before nine o'clock.
Neptune is evening star, and follows 80 close
ly in the wake of Saturn that he is only twenty
three minutes behind him in passing the me-
ridian. He is never visible to the naked eye.
and his appearance in the telescope, is unsatis-
factory on account of his immense distance.
But this inconspicuous globe would doubtless
present q grand spectacle on nearer approach.
for his solitary satellite is supposed by some A.
tronomers to be the largest of its class, and the
planet ranks third in size among the brother
hood. Neptune sets now not far from eleven
o'clock in the evening; at the end OF the month
he sets few minutes after nine O'Clock:
Jupiter is evening star, and proves his right
to the title of the Prince of Planets by his pres
ent brilliant aspect. He still reigns supreme
among the stars, although he has been dimin-
ishing in lustre and size since his opposition.
last November. He passes the meridian twen-
ty-three minutes after Neptune, and about
three-quarters of an hour after Saturn. 10
will be seen that three OF the outer planets arc
conjunction with the sun, goal which Saturn
and Neptune will reach on the same day. Ja-
piter sets at half-past eleven O'Clock In the
morning; at the close of the month he sets at
ten o'clock.
Mars is evening star, and presents few fea-
lures during the month to attract attention.
He is travelling on the long road that leads 20
his next opposition in January, 1884, and until
its near approach he will play an unimportane
part in planetary annals, He looks now like
large red star as he follows in the wake OF Ju-
piter tagging behind, though bound for the
same point-eoniunction with the sun. MARI
now sets few minutes after three O'CLOCK In
the morning; at the close OF the month ne sow
few minutes before two o'clock.
Venus is evening star, but only eight days
past her superior conjunction with the sun,
| and still so near him as to be completely MD
| den in his rays But, although now 1nvlsiblo,
| she has entered on the grand career as evening
| star, which will end in her inferior conjunction
| of the 9th of December, when the great astro-
nomical event of the year may be expected, Is
| she makes her transit or passage over the suns
| disk. Careful observers may possibly discover
| her at the end of the month, for she IS then
| about three-quarters of an hour above the hori-
Zon after sunset. Venus sets now a few min
utes before six o'clock, just after sunset a. the
close of the month she sets q lew minutes aitsf
| seven O'Clock.
! The March moon fulls on the 4th. On the
| 9Th she passes near Uranus. On the 18th, two
| days before her change, she passes SIX degrees
/
| switt-footed planet will both be visible on the
morning sky, and the picture will be worth
| getting up early to see. On the 18th, the new
| moon is near Venus, but both will be too near
| the sun to be seen. On the I'd the
/ moon is in conjunction with Saturn and
| Neptune. On the 23d, the four-dsys-
| old moon passes near Jupiter, about degree
| and half north, the most interesting conjuno-
| ton of the month. On the Goth she pays her
| respects to Mars.
| The sky in March is an arena on which the
| planets play interesting parts. Mercury, sole
| representative of the family in the morning
| sky, will be the charming herald OF the suns
| near approach. Venus will modestly emerge
| from her seclusion in tho suns, eclpsing
| beams Saturn, Neptune and Jupiter will piod
| along in their western course under the resist
less power of the suns attraction. Mars VIII
follow on the same path with slower stop.
Uranus, though faintest of the visible plane.
to the naked eye, is most prominent OF tno
whole in the part he plays. be not only reacn.
| es opposition when he is nearest the eartn, put
| the far more important epoch, perinellon, ms
| nearest point to the sun. Every one interested
| i'm planetary movements will find the condt-
tions for finding Uranus among the stars spec
ially favorable. Every observer will look rev.
erently upon the planet, which, though near
ly seventeen hundred million miles away, can
be plainly seen by the human eye, that won