The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-12-02

the Planets aud Thefr Beasties I'm
December.
rprnxidence Journal.l

OF the stars viii rejoice to behold once
more her beaming face. Since the 10th OF
September, when she became evening star,
she has been too near the sun TO be visible,
but has now 80 far advanced towards east
crp elongation that she may easily be picked
up as a small, serenely-brigbt star, re-
manning above the horizon for an hour
after the great luminary, from which she
borrows leave TO shine, has sunk below 1t.
II will be an interesting study to note the
! increasing size and brilliancy of the fair
evening star, as night after night she lin
gers longer before setting. travelling slow
| Nv northward, ms well as eastward, until at
the end OF the month she will be found
above the horizon two hours after sunset.
Observers who command view OF the
eastern and western horizons will see on
the last day OF the month Venus setting
and Jupiter rising at nearly the same time,
as one planet sets thirteen minutes after
the other rises.
| The right ascension OF Venus is 17h.
Ism. her declination Is 24o 2V south,
and her diameter Is 1918.
Venus set on the LIST. about half-past
O'Clock in the evening; on the 3lst she sets
about half-past O'Clock.
| SATURN Is evening star, and II venus
takes precedence rs presenting more lis-
teresting aspect, Saturn holds the palm for
| being the lar gest and most beautiful OF Tue
evening stars, while he continues visible
| from sunset nearly to the lovely hour when
the morning light Is breaking. No one
familiar with the Pleiades can fail to recog-
nize Saturn. for he hangs below this cluster
aud west OF a red star known as Aldebaran.
He is travelling towards the sun and re-
ceding from the earth. In reality bis size
and brightness are decreasing, though 1t
would take keen eye to detect airy dimi-
mutton in the beauty OF his appearance.
The right ascension OF Saturn is Alb.
l9m., his declination is 19o pa north, and
his diameter is 1917 A.
Saturn set on the 1st, quarter before 7
O'Clock in the morning; OF, the 3lst he sets
soon after half-past a O'Clock.
NEPTUNE is evening star and presents
but one claim TO notice during December
He is the first OF the evening stars to make
his appearance, being high up towards the
meridian at sunset, and disappears below
the horizon before sunrise.
The right ascension OF Neptune is 81.
Sm., his decination is l5o &C. north, and
his diameter is pr g.
Neptune set on the LIST at twenty minutes
after O'Clock in the morning; on the 3lst
he sets at twenty minutes after O'Clock.
MERCURY is evening star, and adds
nothing OF importance TO the incidents OF
the monthly record. He, like Venus, Is
travelling from superior conjunction to
eastern elongation, though he far outstrips
her in the race.
The right ascension OF Mercury Is 16h.
42/, his declination Is 23o ~ south, and
bis diameter IL 4" g.
Mercury set on the 1st about half-past 4
O'Clock in the evening; on the 3lst he sets
about O'Clock.
URANUS Is morning star, and attains dis
tinction in his class as the only planet con-
an incident to the monthly no
tees. On the goth, at , o'clock in theafter-
noon, he is in quadrature with the sun, hav-
ing accomplished half his course from con-
junction TO opposition. Since his last OPP
position he has been in an exceptionally IA
yorable position for observation concerning
his disc and figure. The last time he was
in an equally favorable position was in the |
years 1912 and lS43. Professor Young |
has improved the opportunity for many |
views OF him through the great Princeton |
telescope. He detected markings on the |
disc, shadowy resemblances to the belts |
on Jupiter's disc, and hopes to use them |
rs data for determining the time OF the |
planets axial rotation. Professor Schi- |
apareli, of Milan, improved the same OPP
portunity for making series OF OBSERVE
tons on the figure OF Uranus. The re-
suits agree with those made by Professor |
Msdler in 1912 and 1S43, and indicate
that Uranus has the greatest ellipticity OF
any OF the planets excepting Saturn.
The European observers make the planets
ellipticlty equal TO one-eleyentb. Pro-
lessor Young's results on similar observa-
tons make the eliipticity little less, or |
one fourteenth. To those who have only
seen Uranus through an ordinary telescope |
as tiny sphere OF a delicate sea-green hue,
il seems almost beyond belief that power
full telescope welded by practiced hand !
can reveal belts on his disc, and an ellipti-
cal outline to his figure.
The right ascension OF Uranus Is 1ih.
52m. His declination is 10 So north, and
his diameter is 3".6.
Uranus rose on the 1st at O'Clock in the
On the 3lst he rises at III O'Clock
in the evening.
JUPITER is morning star, the present be-
ing the last month in which he will play
this part for some time to come, for his in
creasing spendor and the early hour OF his
rising are sure indications that he is near
opposition. He will be the most superb |
star in the heavens on moonless nights
throughout the month, appearing above |
the horizon now ut half-past O'Clock, and |
rising earlier every night until at the end
OF the month he will appear at half-past 6
O'Clock. The famous red spot that for five
wears formed so interesting a feature on |
the planets surface faded away during the
last winter and spring, and has not been
seen since the middle OF May, when it was
exceedingly faint. No one can tell II 1t
will be seen again, for no one has discover
ed the cause that produced 1t. Ii any |
vestige remain it will surely be found by
some Of the great telescopes used in scan-
ming the face OF our giant brother.
Interesting telescope observations have |
been made on the Jovian disc that give pos.
tive indications OF an atmosphere envel-
oping the huge planet. Satellites and stars |
disappear and flash up again when occulted |
by the planet This phenomenon has been |
frequently observed, and can he explained |
by the Intervention OF clouds in the plan
cts atmosphere. In OCCUPATIONS the |
clouds may intercept for time the light of |
the satellite or star, which may flash up |
again as soon as the cloud has passed In
the case Of satellites eclipsed by the shadow
OF Jupiter the flashing at intervals OF
the light OF the satellites may be caused by |
their passage through darker regions in
the penumbra OF the planets shadow due
TO such clouds. Professor Pickering, of
the Cambridge Observatory, records note
worthy observation made by him on the
l4th OF April. A star Of the seventh mag
nitude was occulted by Jupitera little more
than two hours after midnight. For about
two minutes before the final disappearance
The star alternately disappeared aud reap
peared without any obvious reason, as If
1t were playing hide and seek with the