The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-04-03
The Starry Heavens.
Movements OF the Planets for April.

The Starry Heavens.
Movements OF the Planets for April.
Providence Journall
Venus is morning star and is still the fair
est of the train, as she holds her state in the
eastern sky, and heralds the coming of the
sun. She is now approaching the sun as
she travels on the path leading from western
elongation to superior conjunction; her
progress is seemingly so slow that she will
not reach the goal and finish her course as
morning star until the Goth of September.
On the 10Th, Venus is in conjunction with
lambda Aquarii, a star of the fourth mag
nitude in Aquarius, being twenty-six min
utes south of the star when at the nearest
point at IL o'clock in the morning. AL
though star and planet are not visible at the
time Of conjunction, they win be worth look
ing for ON the mornings of the 10th and 18th.
At half past 1 o'clock Venus will be far
enough above the horizon for observation
and will be seen on the west of small star
in her vicinity. This is Lambda Aquarii
On the morning of the 11th it will be seen
that planet and star have passed each other,
Venus being then east of the star. 0bserv-
ers will note the rapid progress Of Venus
northward At the close of the month she
will be twelve degrees farther north than
size was at its commencement The right
ascension of Venus is now 22h. ION, her
declination is IL 81 south, and her diameter
is 1878.
Venus rises on the 1st at eight minutes
after o'clock in the morning; on the Both
she rises at thirty-eight minutes after 8
o'clock.
Mars is morning star, but is now too near
the sun aud too Insignificant in size to be of
much account. A better time is coming
and before many months have passed he
will become an object of prominent interest
as he approaches opposition. Like Venus
he is moving rapidly norIhward At the
close of the month he will be in northern
deciination, having travelled nine degrees
north during the month. The farther north
the planets are in this latitude, the more
favorably they are situated for observation,
and the longer is The circuit they make
above the horizon. The right ascension Of
Mars is 23h. 6m., his declination is g. 59'
south, and bis diameter IS AS
Mars rises on the 1st at ten minutes before
rs ela sea da5rfsT 5sf0FFs t tnfs th he
Mercury is morning star until the 10th,
and then evening star for the rest Of the
month. On the 10th, at O'Clock in the
morning, he is in superior conjunction 8 it'll
the sun, passing behind him, and appearing
on his eastern side to play his short role of
evening star. He is the most active mem
Der of the solar community. On the 9th,
rushing eastward at full tilt, with a seeming
intention to get as far away from the sun as
possible, he encounters Neptune ploddng
westward with tortoise pace, and striving to
get as near the sun as possible. They have
a conjunction, passing eac., other at the re-
| spectful distance of three degrees. The
meeting on the celestial road is Invisible to
| terrestrial observers, on account Of the prox-
unity to the sun Of the actors in the scene.
They, however, win distinction for the meet
ing of the planet that travels nearest to the
sun and the planet that travels on the sys-
tennis remotest bounds, is the only planetary
conjunction of the mouth. Mercury is tray-
cling north faster than either Venus or
Mars, for during the month his deelination
northward increases twenty-three degrees.
His right ascension is noR 23h. SON., his
declination is p % south and his diameter
is &c.
Mercury rises on the 1st at twenty-5re
minutes after ) o'clock in the morning; on
the Both lie sets at twelve minutes after s
O'Clock in the evening.
Neptune is evening star, and the leader in
the order Of rising and setting of the four
great planets that are now included in the
list of evening stars He has nearly reached
his greatest distance from the earth, and is
SO far away and so near the sun that the
largest telescope in the world would fall to
bring him to view. His conjunction with
Mercury has been referred to. The increas-
ing distance between Neptune and Saturn is
worthy Of note, for, as the former is thirteen
years in passing through constellation of
tho znIfan md Gafr ia " o.,I
half, the distance between them must in
crease. The right ascension of Neptune is
3h.. and his declination is 159 10 north.
Neptune sets on the 1st at quarter after
Q o'clock in the evening; on the Both he sets
at half past I o'clock.
Saturn is evening star, and may be seen
in the west for about three hours after sun
set. He Is now nearly south Of the Pleiades
and presents no features Of special interest
to the ordinary observer. Even the teleseop.
ist will soon have to take a season Of rest,
for the ringed planet will soon be hidden
from view by his close approach TO the sum-
The observation will, however, be compare
lively short, for those who see him near op-
position next autumn will behold him in
more magnificent aspect than the one he
has presented during the past autumn and
winter. His right ascension Is Oh. 2Gm., his
decIfaation is 16o 40 north, and his diane
ter is 49,.
Saturn sets on the 1st twelve minutes be-
fore 10 o'clock in the evening;cn the Both he
sets about a quarter after o'clock
Jupiter is evening star, the third In the Or
der Of setting, but the leader Of the planeta-
nv brotherhood in size and brilliapcy. lie
distinguishes himself by no noteworthy
deeds, but pursues the even tenor of his way,
accepting with gracious condescension the
involuntary homage Of all beholders. His
right ascension is 5h. 36m., his declination
is 230 IS north, and his diameter is 50" 2.
Jupiter sets on the 1st at twenty-five min
utes past II o'clock in the morning; on the
80 b, he sets a few minutes before II O'Clock
in the evening.
Uranus is evening star, ard may still be
seen by the unaided eye as a very faint star
in clear weather on moonless nights. His pc
sition varies little from that pointed out last
month, little southeast Of Beta Virgins,
the largest star in his vicinity. His light as
is II b. 2Gm., his declination is A.
81 north, aud his diameter is g. S.
Uranus sets on the 1st at 5 o'clock in the
morning; on the Goth he sets at five minutes
after O'Clock.
THE MOON.
The April moon fulls on the 22d at forty
three minutes after o'clock in the morning.
The old moon is near Venus on the 4th,
Mars on the 9Th and Mercury on the 9th.
The new moon Of the 7th is near Neptune
and Saturn on the 9th. The conjunction Of
the two-days-old crescent with Saturn will
be the moss interesting phenomenon Of the
month, the moon passing forty-one minutes
north Of the planet. On the 18th the moon
Is in conjunction with Jupiter, and on the
18th completes her planetary circuit BY
drawing near to Uranus.
On the 22d the moon is eclipsed. As the
eclipse is invisible in this region, though Wis |
ible on the Pacific coast, the Pacific Ocean |
and Asia, and as less than one-tenth Of her |
q iameter is eclipsed, he occurrence viii not |
be of much consequence On the lst. short |