Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1882-02-16
Planets in February.


Venus Is morning star until the 2Oth. when
she comes into superior conjunction with
the sun. aud IS then evening star for the
rest Of the month. She easily wins the
place Of honor among the planets, for when
after conjunction. she passes to the eastern
side Of the sun. she enters upon a career,
which, at Is close will culmlnate in the
greatest astronomical event Of the year, and
perhaps the greatest event of the century.
Ihl- event Of trauscendent importance IL
the Transit uf Venus on the 9th of Decru.-
Der, 1852. She then reaches her inferior
conjunction, passing directly between as
and the sun, and is projected on the sun.
disc ike a round, BLACK spot The transit
or passage, for the word Is derived from
two Latin words meaning ITO pass over,
Will be visible throughout the Western
hcmisp sphere, 50 that our side Of the globe /,
the fortunate one this time IA regard to
locality, and the transit m this locality will
Continue ior ia hours, 80 that there will be
plenty oi time for great many observers
10 behold the Woudrpu- sight OF sister
planet passing over the sun IA full day Wight.
1t seem, ike announcing an event .
great While before It, occurrence, but as
truuomrrs all over the globe have long since
sounded the busy notes of preparation. Il
Is sand That some Of them have been twenty
ii'e Years getting ready for this long antIc-
lpa,cd transit. American astronomer. will
bring all their scientific apparatus into the
field, the best telescopes, transit instruments,
Photographic methods. and everything else
that can he made available on the occasion.
European astronomers will come over the
sea b, the hundreds, and choose tn. most
eligible localities for utilizing their fine IN
strumcnis and finer brains. Intelligent ob-
servers VINO are not scientifically trained,
and who care nothing for contact, and
mathematical nicetles, viii bring into use
every accessible telescope and spygl ass.
Observers who have keen eyesighl wili view
the great lumlnary, deprived oi his glare BY
smoked glass, and perhaps discern with the
naked eye a tiny black dot making its slow
way over his face. The 9th Of December
viii lind more eyes upturned to the sun and
the little world crossing ms domains, than
we're ever gazing upward at any one time
before.
The question naturally arises as to the
reason why We do not have a transit at
every inferior conjunction. Ii Is because
the orbit or path OF Venus round the sun is
inclined TO the suns path or ecliptic, and
unless she Is al or near one of her nodes or
crossing points, she passes above or below
the sun, and We do not zee the passages.
The transit at the descending node occurs IN
December; those at the ascending node IN
June. The intervals between Two tTansits
al the same node eight and two hundred
and thirty five years. Thus the transit Of
Is, occurred eight years ago at the de-
scendng node. After the coming one ha.
passed, there will not be another at the
same node until the year 2ll7. The last
transit at the ascending node occurred in
June, 1869 the next one at the same node
will occur in 2O0i.
The principal reason so much Importance
Is attached To the transit of Venus is that il
affords one of the best means for deter
mining the suns distance from the earth.
1t is supposed that a mistake of three
million miles was made in former estimates, !
and even nov there is probable error of
one or two hundred thousand miles. Ii is
hoped that the observations at the coming
transit Will set the question Al rest, and
give an accurate measuring unit for use in
celestial mathematics. The superior ad-
yantages Of the coming transit over the
one OF 1874 are that il is visible on our
side of the world, and that all former OBJ
serNatIon and experience can be utilized
for present use. Those, therefore, who /
would be prepared to intelligently enjoy
the grand phenomena which will immortal |
ize the annals of the closing year should |
begin 70 study the laws that regulate the |
movements Of the most beautiful member
OF the family of planets, and follow her
course from the time she emerges from her
present seclusion in the suns rays TO the |
elimination of her course as evening star, in |
the rare phenomenon of the transit.
Venus is now too near the sun to be yisi- |
bic, though at superior conjunction her |
whole enlightened face is turned towards
US. But she is then about one hundred and
sixty million miles away, and does not look |
nearly so brilliant as when, at inferior con-
Junction, she is only twenty-five million
miles distant. She now rises few minutes
after I o'clock at the end Of the month |
she sells a few minutes before 6 O'Clock.
Mercury is evening star until the 22d, |
when he comes into inferior conjunction |
with the sun and is morning star for the |
rest Of the month. He reaches his greatest |
eastern elongation on the 9th, when he is in
one of the three most favorable positions of
the year for being seen in the west soon
after sunset as evening star. On the 9th,
and for few evenings before and after, he
may be found when the sky is exceptionally
clear. At that part of the month he is
above the horizon an hour and half after
sunset. The best time for observation is
three-quarters of an hour after sunset He
must be looked for about seven degrees
north Of the sunset point, and his beautiful
appearance will reward the effort required TO
L ~ Il a
junction takes place between Mercury and
Venus, the former being within day of his
inferior conjunction. and the latter having
passed her superior conjunction the day be-
fore. Though Venus is at her most distant
point, and Mercury at his nearest point,
they seem to be not far apart in the sky, as