Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-07-05
THE PLANETS IN JULY.
Suggestive Astronomical Topfcs-The
Coming Transit of Venus-Tsie Mar
tian Canals-The Question OF q Lunar
Atmosphere.

From the Providencs Journal.
Neptune is morning star, and takes the first
rank in the order of precedence as he is the first
or the morning quartette to make his appear
ance above the eastern horizon. He rises now
about half-past o'clock in the morning: at the
close Of the month he rises about half-past II
O'Clock in the evening.
Saturn is morning star and at the close of the
month may be found near the two brilliant clus-
tiers. the Pleiades and the Hyades in Taurus
corning triangle with them. 1t will be easy to
distinguish him from the stars near him by his
serene light and pale tint. He will be beauti
tui object for observation, rising few minutes
before midnight. five hours before sunrise, and
having so far advanced towards terrestrial do
mains as to give an earnest of the unusual splen-
dor of his appearance at the coming opposition
in November. Saturn rises now about quar-
ter before O'Clock in the morning; at the close
of the month he rises few minutes before mid
Mig hit.
Jupiter is morning star and ranks third in the
order of rising. but holds the pre-emnence in
size and brilliancy, as he shines in radiant
beauty, surprising every other star that glows
In the heavens during the small hours that pre-
cede the dawn. At the end of the month he
Will be star worth behOlding, as Capella bears
him company on the north, mighty Orion and
the glowing Sirius guard his footsteps on the
south, and the morning sky while he remains
lord OF the ascendant forms a celestial picture
which will more than repay the early riser for
the effort required to behold it. Jupiter rises
now few minutes before 3 o'clock in the
morning; at the close of the month he rises at
tWenty-three minutes after l O'clock.
Mercury is morning star throughout the
month. On the 18TH at o'clock i'm the after
noon, he reaches bis greatest western elonga-
ton, being ct that time little more than twenty
degrees west OF the sun. Although he Is often
several degrees farther from the sun at one of
his elongations than he is at present. his high
northern declinaton. twenty-one degrees. brings
him into one of the most favorable positions of
the year for observation. He NAV be found
about an hour before sunrise on the 18th in the
northeast, about a quarter of a degree north of
the sunrise point, and twenty degrees west of
the sun. Mercury now rises not far from half
past O'Clock in the morning: at the close of
the month. he rises not far from 81 quarter
before 4 o'clock.
Venus is evening star and eXcels in size
brlliancy and beauty the planetary brotherhood
throughout the month. She is also the most
active member OF the solar fraternity. contrbu-
ting the largest share to the celestial pbenom-
ena OF the month. On the 18th she is in con-
junction with Alpha Leonis or Regulus. the
bright star in the handle of the Sickle close to
the ecliptic or suns path. that often comes in
the way OF the planets. 1t was the same star
month. Venus passes a little more than one
degree north of Regulus No directions will be
needed for observing the conjunction. The
queen of the stars will be recognized at glance
and Alpha ieOniS will be seen shining about a
dpGree-tWice the diameter Of the inoOn-to the
south. Planet and star reach their nearest ap-
preach at o clock in the afternoon but they
will be near enough in the evening to make in
tercsting objects for observation. On the 30th
venus is in conjunction with Uranus. passing
only seventeen minutes to the north The con-
junction is a close one but Uranus is invisi-
bic and too near the sun for favorable view
The attention Of the whole scientific world is
more closely concentrated on this beautiful
planet as the time Of her transit draws nearer
More than forty expeditions in the eastern hem
lsphcre are already in preparation for observing
the great event Ofthe year. The eight French par
ties start this month for the stations they have
chosen in the western world, four in north lat
itude. and four in south latitude After their
arrival at their different destinations they will
spend the Intervening time until December in
digent preparation for their intricate and i'm
pOrtant work. Two German expeditions are
nearly ready for departure on the same errand.
At almost every observatory in the United States
arrangements are being made for combined at
tack on the planet that in full daylight passes
over the sun surface. Astronomers are willing
to take this labor and trouble in the hope of de-
termining by means of the transit the suns dis
lance from the earth with an accuracy that may
not nenCelOrtn DE questioned.
Venus sets on the 1st of the month about half
past o'clock in the evening: on the 3lst she
sets about O'Clock.
Mars is evening star during the month. but his
present insignificant appearance poorly substan-
tates his claim to the title of the god of war.
The year 1892 must roll round before he takes on
the warlike attitude and fiery hue that entitle
him to this distinction. There is but one event
to notice in his course his conjunction with
Uranus, on the 9th, at o'clock in the morn
ing. when he passes only -siX minutes north of
mis- brother planet. This conjunction, like that
of Venus with the same planet, is only visible to
the eye Of imagination.
Mars is now brought prominently into notice
on account of some remarkable markings OBJ
served on his disk by Prof SchiaparelU, of the
Milan observatory, during the opposition of
1880. These markings took on the form of
canals. and We're extensively distributed over
the Marian surface The same observer made
still more marvellous discoveries soon after the
late opposition in 1SSl-'S2. He detected a du-
plication Of the sO-called canals in about twenty
instances, the collateral lines actually unfolding
themselves progressively before his eyes and
thus doubling the canals. The long, narrow.
streaks or markings have been detected by other
observers. but their duplication by similar and
parallel lines is something entirely new. Schia-
parelli is one of the most accurate observers of
the age and not likely to be mistaken i'm his OBJ
servations. The next opposition of Mars early
Ill 1854 Will find astronomers on the watch to
SEEK lOI CoIlllI1ndtl0U Oh tneSe strange appear
ances. Mars sets now about seventeen minutes
after 10 O'Clock in the evenings at the end of the
month he sets at 9 o'clock.
Uranus is evening star. He sets on the LIST of
the month about II o'clock in the evening; at
the close of the month he sets a few minutes
before o'clock.
THE MOON.
July records the advent of two full moons
the sole month in the year honored with that
distinction. The moon fulls on the 1st and
again on the 3Oth. On the 10th the waning
moon passes near Neptune and Saturn. On the
18th she forms with Jupiter lovely picture,
waning crescent and brilliant planet being only
degree and a quarter apart On the 18th the
three-days-Old moon is near Venus. and on the
10Th near Mars and Uranus. The moon lust
now is an important member Of the solar fam
lily. Something new may be anticipated in her
monotonOus story. The observers of the recent
solar eclipse detected intimations of an at
mosphere on her apparently lifeless surface
This seems to confirm indications of movement
that have never been accounted for, and scarcely
credited in scientific quarters. Two days after
the eclipse, an observer of forty years expe-
rience while looking at the moon, saw a cloud
one hundred miles long and forty or fifty miles
broad lowering over the 81 Mare Crsium,'' pre-