Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-03-04
The Planets i'm March.

IIauuS Is evening star after the 9th, and
wins the place of honor among the planetary
brotherhood on the monthly records. Two i'm
portant events in his movements bring him into
prominent notice. The first in order of time IL
his opposition with the sun. The second is his
perihelion. His opposition occurs at IL o'clock
on the evening of the 9th. He then rises above
the eastern horizon as the sun sinks below the
western. being seen at point in the heavens
opposite the sun. as the word opposition i'm
plies. 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 OBJ
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 Flooding on his slow
course in Leo, constellation plainly recognized
by the we'll known stars within its boundaries
forming the Sickle. Those who have star-maps
can mark his exact position on the chart and
will find him in line with Regulus. the bril-
liant star in the handle of the Sickle and form.
ing nearly right -angled triangle with Regulus
and DenebOla. a star of the second magnitude
in the tail OF Leo. About o'clock is favora-
bic time for observation. as Leo is then half
way between the horizon and the zenith. The
oppositions of Uranus 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 18th, when this distant
planet sweeping around his vast circuit reaches
his nearest point to the sun. This event takes
place but once in eigty-fOur years
Mercury is morning star, and the only
planet that fills this role throughout the entire
month. He reaches his greatest western elonga-
ton, or most distant point from the sun. on the
2lst. He will be charming object in the
morning sky between the middle and close of
the month, and will reward observers for get
ting up early to take peep at him, if he is as
clearly visible and takes on as many varied tints
as distinguished his appearance in the February
evening sky. He must be looked for eleven
degrees south of the sunrise point and from
three-quarters to an hour before sunrise.
Saturn is evening star, and leads the trio of
outer planets that will soon cluster closely
round the sun. He passes the meridian now
about 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 10 o'clock: at the close of the month
he sets about quarter before . o'clock.
Neptune is evening star. and follows so
closely in the wake of Saturn that he is only
twenty-three minutes behind him in passing the
meridian. He is never visible to tile naked
eye.
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 dmn-
ishing in luster and size since his opposition,
last November. He passes the meridian
twenty-three minutes after Neptune and about
three1quarters of an hour after Saturn.
.SMars is evening star, and presents few
features during the month to attract attention
He is travelling on the long road that leads to
his next opposition i'm January. 1884, and until
its near approach he will play an unimportant
part on planetary annals. He looks now like a
large red star as he follows in the wake of
Jupiter. tagging behind. though bound for the
same pOint-cOnj junction with the sun. Mars
now sets few minutes alters o'clock in the
morning at the close of the month he sets few
minutes before 9 o'clock.
Venus is evening star, but only eight days
past her superior conjunction with the sum- and
still so near him as to be completely hidden in
his rays. But, although now invisible she
mas entered on the grand career as evening star,
which will end in her inferior conjunction On the
9th of December, when the great astronomical
event OF the year may be expected. as she makes
her transit or passage over the suns disc Care
full observers may possibly discover her at The
end OF the month, for she is then about three
quarters OF an hour above the horizon after
sunset. Venus sets now few minutes before
&c o'clock. just after sunset: at the close of the
month she sets few minutes after o'clock.
The March moon fuls on the 4th. On the 5th
she passes near Uranus. On the 18th, two
days before her change, she passes six degrees
north of Mercury. The waning moon and the
swift-fOOted planet will both be visible on the
morning sky, and the picture will be worth get
ting up early to see. On the 22d, the moon is
in conjunction with Saturn and Neptune. On
the 23d, the fOurdays-Od moon passes near
Jupiter, about degree and half north. the
most interesting conjunction of the month.
On the 10Th, she pays her respects to Mars.