Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1883-09-06
URANOLOGY FOR SEPTEMBER.

Last month the astronomical editor
promised two new Moons for September.
But he now finds, Upon revising his figures,
that he lacks 40 minutes of redeeming that
promise the second of these new Moons not
being due till 40 minutes after midnight of
September 80. Therefore the two Moons
must go over until October, in which month
they are sure to appear.
The Moon is new at o'clock tomorrow
enters first quarter at / % p. H. of
the 9th is full at 4.27 p. M Of the 10th, and
enters last quarter at 1856 a. M of the 2Srd.
On the evening Of Monday next the young
Moon will be favorably situated for another
examination of that portion Of the Mare |
Crisium in which Jsckson's cloud should be |
looked for.
The Moon is in conjunction with all the |
planets, except Venus during September, and
some of the conjunctions are very close and
would be well worth looking at were they
visible in this locality, which, unfortunately,
they are not. The only conjunction that
possesses any interest for Wilmington star
gazers therefore will occur on next Monday
afternoon. At 3.45 o'clock the New Moon
will pass within one degree Of Mercury, which
planet passed to the eastward OF the Sun on
July 10Th and has fallen far enough behind
him by this time to be visible were it not for
its low southern declinaton. At sunset OF
Monday the Moon will have advanced about
IL to the eastward distance about three
times the Moons diameter. II the air
is good Mercury may perhaps be found early
in the evening, as the moon will serve adj
mirably to point out its position.
The lack of visible conjunctions, however,
is made up in September by the unusual num-
Der Of occultations OF fixed stars. The first
and most important Of these occurs in the
early evening Of the 9Th, (next Thursday
evening". The star which will be occulted
on that occasion is Alpha LibrH, fine double
whose components are Of the third and sixth
magnitudes and separated by an interval of
about 81 minutes. To see this star double
on good night is test for sharp eye ;
most persons need the aid Of an opera glass.
AT Z O'Clock the Moon, then little past first
| quarter, and moving dark Vi foremost will
pass over the smallest OF u pair, and two
minutes later over the larger star. The; twi.
light will probably be too brigt at that hour
| to admit Of the extinction of G stars being
witnessed by the naked eye, but the emer.
gence OF the larger one, As minutes after,
can be seen. The smaller one will reappear
within ha an hour.
Tho ou or visible occultations OF the month
will b. ollows Mu Geminorum, a 415tt
magnitude star, at LII a. m. OF he 18th
Il flscium, 81 xth magnitude, at p. III. Of
the 10th 70 Piscium, 9Th magnitude, l0.5C
p. m. of the 10th Epsilon Piscium, 4tt
magnitude, $40 a. m. of the 18th 81 Ceti
9th magnitude, 10.43 p. m. Of the 18th d
A. G. 6O9, 9th magnitude, 4.l5 n. M. of til,
18th Sigma Ariets, 9th magnitude 80 D
IN. of the 10th; Iota Tauri, 8 tn magnitude
Hoy pm. OF the 2lst, and between and a M
of the 2Gth the double stars Al and A.
Cancri, each OF the sixth magnitude. Non,
of the oecultations enumerated in this para
graph can be observed without small tele
scope or good spy glass.
Mercury is the sole evening planet of Sep
TENDER and, as stated above, he does no
amount to much, because he is now 30 far /,
the southwark. He reaches his creates
eastern elongation on the 18th, setting thel
one hour and AZ minutes behind the Sun
After that date he approaches the Sun again
on his way to superior conjunction which h
reaches on November 9th. On the 90,
Mercury reaches his greatest hellenic latitud
I south, hating ID his course within one dc
gree OF the star Spica Virgins, the brightes
Of the Virgins host.
Venus is practically lost to view durin
September. She is nominally mornn
planet until the Goth, but too near the Su
and too insignificant in brightness to reps
the observer. At G o'clock on the evening O
!, the 2Oth, she reaches the goal for which SD
started after completing her transit, on tn
9Th OF last December, coming then int
superior CONJUNCTION with the sun. Could "
observe her on that evening through til
= telescope, (and az matter OF fact she coul
: be thus seen within few hours before {
z after conjunction, for Venus surpasses in ii
= trinsic brlllancy any of the other planets
4 stars and can be seen much nearer the Su
than even the Moon CAM, we should find b,
whole surface illuminated, but looking vel
. much smaller than her dark side seemed G
y the occasion Of her transit This il becaul
n at transit she was only about 2G, 900, 900 mil
!, from us, while at superior conjunction she
d about 10000, 900 miles distant.
q There il another interesting feature OF Il
n approaching conjunction of Venus with Il
=, sun. As she approaches that luminary fro
the west, the distant planet Uranus is a.
% preaching it from the east and, so near
simultaneous are their approaches tn
Is Uranus beats Venus TO the rendezvous on
IT four days, and the two planets pass with
ss less than one degree OF each other Viii
le Venus after conjunction becomes an eveniI
n star, Uranus becomes morning star b.
his motion ID 10 much the slower that
will hardly be far enough from the sun Il
the purpose Of the observer until Decembe
~ The remaining planets are ranged alor
l. the midnight and early morning sky in Il
a. same order as last month Neptune, Satur
lie Mars, Jupiter Neptune now rises about
D. p, M at the close Of the month no will ri
about 3 O'Clock. Saturn now rises about II
at the close Of the month he will rise at
y Mars rises now half an hour after midnight
ea he will rise at midnight on the 3Oth. Jupit
D, rises at 2.l0 a. m. at the beginning of Sc
"a TENDER and at IS minutes past midnight
10 the end Of the month.
n, Jupiter is glorious telescope object nc
:, and will improve as he rises earlier He
in nearly straight line with the two brig
&c stars Of the Twins, Castor and Pollux
u, situation which Mars will occupy about Il
n Sd or 18th Of October. When Mars reach
le this position Jupiter will have advanc,
ly several degrees to tho eastward, and the ty
Al planets and two stars will form a brillia
"a figure something like the letter IL" on Il
:, after-midnight sky. Mars, moving the tastes
will overtake and pass Jupiter on the 10Th
~ October, when the two planets will be with
" less than one degree OF each other. On Il
IN morning Of September 10Th Mars will pa
g. within three-fourths of a degree Of d
double star Delta Geminorum, whose col
poncnts are Of the Sd and 8th magnitud
70 and about six seconds apart