The Portland daily press., 1882-09-02
Providence Journal.l
planets m September.

Jupiter is morning staf, eho holus bne PAIN
among the radiant throng that in the small
hours of the night make the star-it canopy of
heaven glorious to behold. he has the advan-
tage of Venus in one respect, for his light is
brought out in grand proportions against the
dark background of the sky, while the disc of
Venus loses portion Of its golden radiance IN
the bright glow of twilight. The morning SKY
presented brilliant scene a week ago to an op-
server early in the field Pre-eminent among
the glittering host shone the lordly Jupiter,
beaming with wonderful light as, wei ABOVE
the horizon, he rose grandly towacd the zenith,
the Acknowledged leader OF the radiant throng.
The brightest stars that crown the night did
bom,pe to their lord. Saturn, his subordinate
in size. shone in serene light, higher up in the
heavens. almost in line with the gllmmering
Pleiades, and forming fine contrast in color
with rudy Aldebaran. The constellation of
Orion filed the southeast, its starry feet mark
ing the equator and its leading brilliant, Betel-
guese glowing as far below the pFincely plan
ct as Capells shone high above him. The night
was luminous with the tremulous brightness
of the stars, end the picture was one of exceed
ing beauty. Two months hence the same scene
will grace the evening hours, but it will not be
as impressive as it is when viewed in the SOL
emn silence that fills the hours before the
breaking of the dawn.
Jupiter reaches quadrature at o'clock on
the morning of the 23d The magnificent plan
ct then hangs, self-poised, half way between
conjunction and opposition, ninety degrees
from each point, rising about midnight and
reaching the meridian about o'clock in the
morning. Thenceiorth, he will be nearer the
earth than the sun, will increase correspond
insly in size, become prominent object of in
terest in the cas- ern sky during the evening,
and delight the eyes of Astronomers who will
eagerly watch for changes in the prominent
markings that last year diversified his disc His
diameter now measures thirty-tive seconds At
opposition, in December it will measure forty
Eve seconds His high northern declnation is
worthy of note being almost twenty-three de-
grees. This accounts for hisbeing go Tar to the
north
- jupiter rises on the first, about twenty min
utes before midnight. Htthe end of~tA9- mouth
he rises at 10 O'Clock in the evening.
Saturn is morning star, but yields pre-eml-
pepce to Jupiter in size and brightness. His
progress during the month is marked by no IN
cideDt worthy of note, This distinguished
member of the solar family is steadily coming
nearer, and has so far advanced toward his
nearest approach or opposition that, at the end
of the month, his serene face Will come glow
ing above the horizon at 8 O'Clock ID the even
ing to be followed two hours later by that OF
his brother Jupiter. Saturn plays the secot
part in the picture Of the September morning
sky we have attempted to draw Judged, Tor
months to come the two planets Will oe insepa-
rably linked in the attention of the observer,
who will gladly welcome their appearance III
the evening sky, though they are still included
in the list of morning stars. Saturn diameter
is now about seventeen Seconds botn saturn
4lnat 1i.bt han
mense distance from the sun would warrant Z.
1t is not improbable that portion OF this llght
comes from their own surfaces, for the larger
the planet the longer it takes TO cool, and these
giants of the system are supposed to be IN a con-
dition more nearly resembling that OF the sun
than the earth Saturn's declination Is seven
teen degrees north, being six degrees less than
Jupiter's. -
Saturn rises now few minutes before IL
O'Clock in the evening: at the END OF the month
he rises at O'clock
Neptune is morning star and retains his place
as herald of the morning trio, pushing his un-
seen path among the stars without az lncldent
to break the monotonous routine. Ihose VINO
wish to trace his position ON the star maps Will
find it on the LIST in right ascension 3h. 7m.,
and in declination 15o 40 north.
Neptune rises now about half past O'Clock
in the evening; at the close OF the month ne
rises about balf-past O'Clock.
Venus is evening star, and reigns with queen
ly and ackRow edged power over the morning
and evening stars as we'll as the mighty multi
tude of glisteniug suns that stud the celestial
track. No student of the skies will fail to
grant her the ascendancy or fail to note her IN
creasing size and bIilliancy. Eer diameter
now measures nearly twenty seconds and at the
end of the month it will measure twenty-s1x
seconds. Unjust be remembered that the more
her diameter increases and the more nearly
she approaches the earth, the less OF her en-
lightened disc is turned towards us. LII, when
she passes between and the sun, her bright
ne
dark side, she would be glorious planet, such
as never was seen by mortal eye.
The progress of Venus during September is
made specially interesting by the occurrence
of an important epoch in her course. On the
9th at 2 o'clock in the morning, she reaches
her greatest eastern elongation, or most distant
point from the sun on his eastern side. On the
Doth of February she was in superior conJunc
ton with the sun, and became evening star. a
month or two later, she visible as a small
star close to the sun, disappearing shortly aftel
sunset Ever since, she has been travellne
eastward, setting later every evening, anc
growing n ore brilliantly beautiful. On the
27tb.she will reach the end of the invisible
chain that binds her to the sun. Not second
farther can she swerve. The suns resistless
attraction turns her course and directs her ret
rogade steps westward, until, in our view, she
has retrod the whole eastward course and
reached her inferior conjunction and
transit. Millions of observers are watch
ing her receding steps with eager In
usbers in the great astronomical event o.
the year if not of the century. Venus at bel
eon. alton is 46o So east of the sun. AS ID
represents one hour OF time, it will be plain
that she can never be visible much more thar
three hours after sunset; as the same laws pre-
vail in reversed order when she is morning
star, for the same reason she can never be seeI
more than three hours before sunrise The in
creased velocity of the planets M otion vii
soon be apparent. While she has been nearly
seven months in passing from superior con
junction to eastern eongation she will be les
than three months in returning from eastern
elongation to inferior conjunction. This mos
brilliant portion of her course will form plan
etary stsdy for the student of the stars, al
easily followed as it is Interesting and illustra
tive Of the laws that govern the movements O.
the inferior planets.
The work of getting ready for the observa
ton of the transit goes on with increasing ardol
as the time for the occurrence of the phenome-
non draws near. At a moderate estimate
nearly hundred transit parties have reached
their destinations, are on their way thither, are
making ready for distant observing poinst, Of
are strengtheDine their resources for work a
home. American astronomers are perfectinG
their plans The Commission having the mat
ter in charge has been obliged to delay actor
for want of the necessary appropriation. Blu
matters are now in train for action. The sta
lions have been selected and the leaders of tht
different parties chosen. There will probably
be four stations in the south ern hemisphere
One is at the Cape of Good Hope, under Pro
fessor Newcomb's charge; one at New Zealand
under Edwin Smith of tie Coast Survey; on,
at Santiago, Chill, under Professor Boss, anC
one in Santa Cruz. Patagonia, under Lieuten
ant Very, of the United States Navy. The
principal observing stations in the northern
hemisphere will be Cedar Keys, Florida, Sar
Antonio, Texas, and Fort Thorn, New Mexico
under the charge of Professors Hall, Hardness
and Eastman of the Naval Observatory, anc
Professor Davidson of the Coast Survey. The
United States will be represented by some Of
her most famous astronomers, who will do val
liant work for the cause. Photography is the
weapon with which they will make the attack
npon the sun and the fairest of his daughters;
if human skill can be relied upon, the sun
himself will be made to record every feature of
the Transit The French who will observe at
eight stations in the Western world depend up
on contacts as their means of stack, as also dc
the English and Belgians. while the Germans
hope TO accom- sh successful results with the
heliometer. The Germans thus far, have Sc
lected two stations farther north than those OF
other foreign nations; one at Hartford, Con-
necticut, and the other at Aiken, South Caro-
lima. The uncertainty of the weather in the
north temporal zone will prevent its being