The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-11-15
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PLANETS In NOVEMBER.
A Chat Ahnnt fhe Stars

Saturn is now evening star, and
will be until the 2Sth. On The 18th,
at IL o'clock in the evening, Saturn is
in opposition with the sun, reaching
his eliminating point in size and
brilliancy for the present year. He is
then opposite the sun, rising when
the sun sets and setting when the sun
rises. This is the point in his orbit
when he IS nearest to the earth, thus
accounting for the splendor of his ap-
pearance. y straight line drawn from
the sun to the earth would, if eX-
| tended, pass through Saturn. In
stead of being 1,014OO0,0O0 miles from
! the earth, his distance at conjunction
| is S31, 100000 miles. But his nearneSS
to us is not the only reason
for his beautiful appearance.
His rings are open nearly to
their widest extent, and heads APP
preaching periheleon which, while
bringing him more than 100000
miles nearer the sun than he is when
in aphelion, brings him also nearer
to the earth. He will, therefore, be
superb object for observation during
the month, being above the horizon
nearly the entire night, and needing
no one to point him out as he pursues
his shining course near the PleiadeS
and Aldebaran. Clear-sighted obserV-
erS who can detect one or more of
Jupiter's moons with the naked
eye may see him in an elongated form
on account of his widely-open rings.
a telescope of moderate power will
give surprisingly lovely picture of
the ring-girdled planet, and every one
interested in astronomy should, if pos.
sibie, obtain a view of this wonder OF
the heavens.
Mercury is morning star until the
26th, and evening star the rest of the
month. On the Goth, at 1 o'clock in
the morning, he is in superior con-
junction with the sun, passing be-
You'd and below him, and reappearing
on his eastern side as evening star.
He takes no active part in the events
of the month, but speeds on his way,
the smallest and the swiftest, as well
as the nearest to the sun among the
planets.
Jupiter is the morning star through
out the month. Though he now
yields the first place to Saturn, he fills
the second with such distinguished
grace that, when his princely head ap-
pears above the eastern hills, star
gaZers pay involuntary homage to the
nobleSt member of the suns family. |
Observers will now obtain the first |
glimpse of this planet about 1870 !
o'clock in the evening. AS he rises |
four minutes earlier every evening, |
being, like the stars, carried west |
ward by the earth's motion in her |
orbit, he will rise about $50 o'clock |
at the close of the month. On the |
22d Jupiter is stationary near Pr8sepe,
the same cluster of stars through |
which Mars passed in October. Those |
who desire to observe planet in a |
stationary aspect will find a brilliant |
in this beaming planet, |
for he scarcely changes his position |
during the month.
Mars is morning star. Thou~h he |
contributes no incidents to the annals |
of the month, he wins the third place
for the interest he eXciteS. His in |
crease in size and ruddy color are
plainly apparent, for his diameter has |
more than doubled since the 1st Of |
October. As he rises now twenty-five |
after Jupiter, he may readily |
be found from his proximity to his |
more brilliant brother. Mars Illus |
trateS direct motion during the month |
that is, he is moving eastward ac-
cording to the signs of the zodiac.
Venus is evening star during the |
month, the only plannet playing this
part without. change. She will not |
long remain low on the list, but will |
soon put forth her claims to notice as
the fairest of the winter stars. Though |
setting now forty minutes after the |
sun, at the end of the month she will |
be above the horizon little more |
than an hour after sunset. She must |
then be looked for far south in the
constellation Sagittarins, two degrees
and a half south of the sunset point,
and she will be both dim and small in
the glowing twilight.
Neptune is morning star until the
18th, when he becomes evening star.
He retains his pre-eminence until
that time among The planets on the |
roll as the first to make his
appearance in the field. On the 18th
at o'clock in the morning, the event
in his career most interesting to ter
restrial observers takes place. He is
in opposition with the sun. AS the
word implies he is opposite the sun,
being 1909 in longitude from him,
and also at his nearest point to the
earth. An observer on the sun en-
dowed the visual power to take in the
system at glance, would behold the
earth, and Neptune far beyond direct
ly in line. He would also find, inst
before Neptune's opposition, six or
seven planets leaving out the earth,
on one side of the sun, and Venus as
the sole planetary representative on
the other side.
Uranus is morning star, and pur-
sues his slow and solitary way among
the insignificant stars of Virgo. He,
like Mars, is moving in adirect course
though at present he is hard to find in
an ordinary telescope.