The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-12-29

aspect OF Jupiter and Venus I'm their Dres-
ent phase IL that they are above the horl-
zon together during the whole month. Ju-
| piter rising before Venus sets. the one
relgning IN the eastern sky. the other hold
| Ing her court in the western sky. The
former rises row fifteen minutes before the
latter sets. AT the end OF the month .Jupi-
ter VIII rise before sunset, and Venus will
not set till nearly O'Clock. They will.
therefore, be visible for more than two
hours, and as one Is apparently moving
west and the other east they will be sure
TO approach each other. The right ascen-
sion OF Venus on the lst Is ooh. 30m., her
declination is 200 4p south, and her diam.
eter is III 4.
Venus sets on the 1st about half-past 6
O'Clock in the evening; on the Slst she
sets few minutes before O'Clock.
SATURN Is evening star, and secures the
third place on the list in the order Of beauty
and brightness. lie scarcely changes his
position during the month, only slightly
retroerading. His path Is therefore easy
TO follow, for. though. far exceeded by
Jupiter In starry splendor, he is beautiful
to behold with his soft and serene liyht.
He makes his transit now nj half-past o
O'Clock, and then sinks slowly to the west.
followed by retinue OF the brightest stars
that twinkle in the sky, and taking pre-
cedencc OF Jupiter and Mars who follow
after.
The right ascension OF Saturn on the 1st
Is Ali. 10m., his declnatlon is 100 g. north,
and his diameter is 1917.
Saturn sets on the 1st about half.past
O'Clock in the morning; on the 3lst he sets
at half-past O'Clock.
MARS Is morning star, wins the fourth
rank in the order OF interest, and com
pletes the quartette OF planet; visible du-
ring winter nights that are easily recog-
nized by the unscientiGc observer. He is
Increasing in ruddy hue, and increasing in
size as he rapidly approaches that point in
his course when our planet will be directly
between him and the sun, and is very near
his brightest phase during the month. His
northern declination is Increasing, always
a favorable condition for observation. lie
is easily recognized as the bright red star
southeast OF Jupiter and northwest Of
Regulus in the handle OF the Sickle.
The right ascension of Mars on the 1st is
Oh. i0m., his declination is 10 81 north,
and his diameter is 13| 2.
Mars rises on the lst few minutes be-
fore O'Clock in the evening; on the 31st
he rises ut 8 O'Clock.
MERCURY Is evening star until the 2Oth,
ana then morning star. On the ith, at IL
O'Clock in the morning, be reaches his
greatest eastern elongati0n, being l9o l6/
east OF the sun. and at that time may pos
slbly be visible to the naked eye in the west
soon after sunset, though his southern de-
clination is not favorable TO visibility.
Venus may help the observer in his search;
s., ho l. Et,f hn -
west. On the 4th Mercury sets an hour
and half after the sun, and a half-hour
earlier than Venus. With so bright a
guide il will not be very difficult to find
him. il the evening is exceptionally clear.
He must be looked for about quarter after
O'Clock. On the Goth, at O'Clock in the
afternoon, this swift-winged planet has
completed his course as evening star, COM
ing then into inferior conjunction with the
sun. and passing to his western side to
commence his short circuit as morning
star.
The right ascension Of Mercury is on the
1st, ooh. 3m., his declination is 22o g
south, and his diameter is G." 2.
Mercury sets on the lst at O'Clock in the
evening; on the 31st he rises about o'clock
in the morning.
URANUS is morning star. lie is in the
constellation Virgo, and Is stationary nearly
the whole month.
The right ascension Of Uranus on the 1st
is lii. 54m., his declination is 10 2G> north,
and his diameter is 3".S.
Uranus rises on toe 1st at II O'Clock in
the evening; on the 3lst he rises at .
O'Clock.
NEPTUNE is evening star. He still holds
his one claim to distinction, heading the
procession of outer planets in the time Of
his appearance, and making his transit
about half-past O'Clock.
The right ascension OF Neptune on the
lst is 3h. Gm., his declination is lJo So
north, and his diameter iS 2".G.
Neptune sets on the 1st not far from
half-past O'Clock in the morning; on the
31st he sets at about 4 quartes after 3
O'Clock.
TIE MOON.
The January moon fulls on the '12th at
tWenty-eight minutes after 10 O'Clock in
the morning. standard time. On the Sth,
at two minutes after o'clock III the morn
ing, the moon makes close conjunction
with Neptune, being six minutes south.
In some localities on the globe the moon
occults the planet. On the 9th, at four
teen minutes after 2 O'Clock in the morn
ing, she is in conjunction with Saturn,
being one degree south. She will occult
Saturn in some localities between 25o
and 10 southern declnation, the only
time during the year. On the 18Th
she is in conjunction with Jupiter on
the 18th with Mars. and on the 11th with
Uranus. On the 26th, two days before her
change, she is at her nearest point to Mer-
cllry. Her latest conjunction is the most