The Portland daily press., 1883-03-05
The Starry Heavens.
Movements of the Planets for March.
providence Journal.l


providence Journal.1
Uranus, morning star until the 18th, and
evening star for the rest of the month,
comes to the front during the month of
March. He is entitled to special honor for
Two reasons-he reaches opposition, the
most important epoch of his course, and he
is family visible to the naked eye. He is in
opposition with the sun on the 18th, at mid
night. This means that when the sun is in
the west he is in the east, rising when the
sun sets, and setting when the sun rises.
If we could be transported to the sun, and
endowed with eyes TO see, straight line ex-
tending from that point of view would pierce
the earth, and if extended, reach Uranus,
thus showing the earth and Uranus at their
nearest point of approach. Noone dreamed
that there could be planet beyond Saturn
until 1881, when Herschel accidentally dis
covered Uranus while observing the stars.
and realized so little the prize he had found
as to consider the new planet nothing but
an ordinary comet. Uranus at opposition
becomes evening star, and joins his brother
planets, Neptune, Saturn and Jupiter on the
eastern side of the sun, the four giant plan
cts playing the same role, and all travelling
from opposition to conjunction,
Though Uranus when brightest, as at
present, has diameter of not quite four
seconds, he shines as a star of the sixth
magnitude, and can therefore be seen with
the naked eye. He is in the constellation
Virgo, near Beta Virgins, a star of the third
magnitude, in the southern wing of the Vir-
gin, and nearly twelve degrees south of
Dembola in the Lion. A good observer,
with these directions, knowing his right as
cension and declination, as here given, will
be able to pick up this far-away planet on
any clear, moonless night during the month,
as small, faint star. At nine o'clock in
the evening he win be in the eastern sky,
about halfway to the meridian. A ielescop-
ic view is more interesting, for there he APP
pears as well-defned little moon, of del
icate sea-green hue. A good instrument
will bring out two Of his four moons, but
the other two are among the most difficult
objects in the solar system to detect, and are
meyer seen excepting in the largest telescopes
In the world. Uranus completes a synodic
revolution, or travels from opposition to OPP
position again in year and four and hall
DAYS. Therefore, his opposition in 1884 will
occur on the 10th of February, in 1885 on the
10th of February and SO on,
Jupiter is evening star. Fdough entitled
to the first place for the brilliancy of his ap-
pearance, he surely wins the second for the
incidents he contributes to the planetary
studies of the month. He is splendid 10 be-
hold as he proudly looks down from the
zenith, and is almost as easily recognized as
the sun and moon. On the 18th, at nine
O'Clock in the morning, he reaches quadra-
ture, the half way house between opposition
and conjunction. He is then ON the meridi-
an at six O'Clock. rises at MONDAY and sets
at midnight. This is one of his most inter-
esting aspec.s, for his brightness has scarce
ly gro gn dim since opposition, and he is so
situated that he is easily brought into the
telescope field. These are the nights when
he is superb in the wonder-making instru-
ment. just now there is a great excitement
among the observers. The regal planet has
lost one of his most interesting appendages.
The "great red spot'' has almost entirely dis
appeared from his disk. This wonderful
phenomenon appeared in 1878. 1t was about
twenty six thousand miles long, and six or
or eight thousand miles wide, the shape was
homogeneous, and the color was delicate
shade of rose There has been no end to
the attention it has received and the eager
ness with which it has been observed. Now
it has gone, and the men of science are lit
tie the wiser for the attention they have Civ
en- to it, and the accuracy with which they
have measured its revolutions. Various
theories have been elaborated to account for
it. Some of the scientists think it was an
enormous rift in Jupitel's cloud atmos-
phere, revealing the more solid nucleus be-
meath. Others think that it was a Stag or
crust formed on the semi-fuid surface of
the planet, revolving with it and gradually
melting down till it has nearly vanished.
Others think it was huge cloud, made up
of the smoke coming from long-continued
volcanic eruption in the chaotic mass under
meath. Similar spots will doubtless take the
place of the one that has gone, and, some
day, astronomers may find out their mean
ing. But many red spot must run its
course before light breaks through the
darkness that surrounds this giant world.
more like a sun than planet.
Saturn is evening star, and, though he has
perceptibly grown dim since opposition,
ranks next to Jupiter in size and brightness
There are no noteworthy incidents in his
course during the month, as he slowly
makes his way towards the sun, seeming to
move little from his position southwest of
the Pleiades. Observers will note the short
ness of his stay above the horizon, as he
sets now half an hour before midnight, and
makes his transit about half-past four
O'Clock in the afternoon.
Neptune is evening STAR and leads the
giant quartet in the time of rising and set
ting. The space between himself and his
brother Saturn Is gradually widening, the
former making his transit seventeen min
utes before the latter.
Mercury is morning star during the month,
and the most active member among the
planets that play this role. On the Sd he
reaches his greatest western elongation. He
is then 27o TO- west of the sun, aud is far
enough from him to be visible during near
ly the first half of the month. Although at
elongation, he is nearly as far from the sun
as possible; he is SO far south of the sun
that he is not seen under as favorable condi-
tions as when north of the sun, and at less
distance from him at elongation. There are.
however, but three favorable occasions DUR
ing the year when he is visible as morning
star, and the present comes first on the
list. Observers who command good view
of the eastern horizon will find him on ex-
ceptonally clear mornings, about three
quarters of an hour before sunrise not far
from nine degrees south of the sunrise
point. The nearest first magnitude star is
Fomalhaut, about twelve degrees southeast,
and Venus shines brightly twenty degrees
west and little more than two degrees
south. Mercury, on the 9th, is in conjunc-
ton with Delta Capricorni, small star in
Capricornus or the Goat, passing Il "a
north. The conjunction of planet and star
may be seen through good opera glass. On
the 18th, Mercury is In conjunction with
Mars, passing about one degree sOuth. The
conjunction, though invisible, is interest
ing, as it shows how near the planets
are together, that is, as we look at them.
Mars ID morning star, and at the begin
ming Of the month 10 nearest to the sun of
the morning stars. His conjunction with
Mercury on the 18th has been referred to.