Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-12-29
TEE NEW YEAR SKY.
The planets fer J January.
From the Providence Journal.

From the Providence Journal.
Jupiter is morning star until the 10Th. and
then evening star until the 9Th Of August. 1t is
sometimes difficult to decide which of the
planets wins the place of honor for the month.
But those who watch the movements of these
shining wanderers will agree in placing Jupi-
ter at the head of the list. On the 18th
he reaches the most interesting point in
his course, for at 10 o'clock on the evening OF
that day he is in opposition. straight line
drawn from the mighty Jupiter to the more
mighty sun will then pass through the earth,
our little planet lying between the two monsters
OF the system. 1t would take more than a
million earths to make one sun. and thirteen
hundred earths to make one Jupiter. We can
tn eref0re learn lessen of our own insignifcance
when we compare our globe with these huge
masses.
At opposition. Jupiter takes on his most
brilliant aspect. and no one can wonder that the
ancients named him for the greatest OF their
gods star ofimperiai JOve. Though he never
shines with the fascinating beauty that Gistin-
gu;shes Venus at her period of greatest bril-
iiancy. he enjoys great advantage over his fair
competitor As he is an outer planet. he may
be seen opposite the sun-rising when the sun
sets. and increasing his brightness against the
blackness OF the midnight sky. As Venus is an
inner planet and never departs much more than
40 degrees from the sun, she is never visible
much more than three hours after sunset, or
three hours before sunrise Jupiter can make
the grand circuit of the sky. being q
superb object during the entire night. Venus
osciilates in straight lines east and west of the
san. as if she were bound to him by an invisible
chain In reality. both planets move around
the sun the same as the earth. The different
aspects they take on are simply the way they
look to observers on the earth. the giant planet
travelling outside of our domain, the fairest of
the planets travelling within our boundaries.
We never look upon Jupiter at opposition.
without rejoicing that. when the vast nebulous
mass. that once filed and extended far beyond
the limits Of the solar system quickened into
life and threw off the conCentric rings of
which the planets were formed, the largest
rings condensed into the planet Jupiter. Thus
the lesser members of the brotherhood may be-
hold the magnificent spectacle Of planet, sec
ond only to the great sun himself a miniature
solar system with q quartette OF revolving sate-
lites a telescope wonder on which the eye rests
with ever new delight The huge planet has not
yet cooled down. his pTimeval fires still blaze
and he gives out light and heat to the moons
that surround him, and as readily yield to his
sovereign power as their mighty lord bows to
the suns resIstsess sway. Observers on the
earth, nearly five hundred million miles away,
may watch the process of matchmaking on this
distant sphere. In the belts that diversity his
disc, in the huge spots that from time to
time agitate his mass, in the immense
cloud-atmOsphere that conceals his fiery
nucleus, we behold, on a grand scale, the
progress of the cooling process that millions of
years ago stirred to the depths the earth's lesser
bulk. before it developed to the perfection Of
its present condition as an abode for animate
life. Just as surely will the prince of planets
reach, latest of all the SUMS family, the same
perfection of development, when millions of
years hence. the earth, like the moon, has ar
rived at the period of inevitable decay, and pre-
coded on the list by Mercury. Mars and perhaps
Venus, will be floating through space as dead
world. Viewed in this light, every changing
belt, every new spot and every sudden rift are
a revelation in JOyian langua re of the tremen-
dous commotion that will eventually bring
order out OF chaos.
Venus is evening star throughout the month.
If Jupiter wins the first place, she is entitled to
the second. and after this month has passed her
brightness will be on the incrense while his bril-
liancy will slowly fade. Venus is superhly beau
tltu in the western sky for nearly two hours
after sunset. Travelling from superior coniunc-
tiOn to eastern elOngatiOn, she is constantly re-
ceding from the sun in her eastern course. and,
at the same time, approaching the earth Care
full observers will easily note her Increase in size
and brightness. and the longer time she is above
the horizon, and will rejoice that during the en-
tire winter she will hang her golden lamp in the
western sky. sercney shining in the twilight
glow almost as soon as the sun has disappeared
below the horizon
Venus is travelling rapidly northward, ad-
yancing 10 degrees during the month. and
greatly changing her position in regard to the
sun, being now two degrees and q half north OF
the sunset point. and at the end OF the month
ten degrees north of the sunset point. charm
lug aspect OF Jupiter and Venus in their present
phase Is that they are above the horizon To-
gethcr during the whole month"; Jupiter rising
before Venus sets. the one reigning in the east
crn Sky, the other holding hcrcourt in the west
ern sky. The former rises fifteen minutes
before the latter sets. At the end of the month
Jupiter will rise before sunset. and Venus will
not set till nearly 8 o'clock. They Will. there
FORE 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.
Saturn is evening star, and secures the third
place on the list in the order ofbeauty and bright
ness. He scarcely changes his position during
the month, only slightly retrograding. His path
is therefore easy to follow. for, though far ex-
cceded by Jupiter in starry splendOr, he Is beau
tiul to behold with his soft and serene
light. He makes his transit now at half-past
O'Clock. and then sinks slowly to the west.
followed by a retinue of the brightest stars that
twinkle in the sky. and taking precedence of
Jupiter and Mars who follow after.
Mars Is morning star, wins the fourth rank liz
the order of interest. and completes the quar-
tette of planets visible during winter nights
that are easily recognized by the unscentitic
observer. lie 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 declnatfOn is increasing, always
favorable condition for observation. He is
easily recognized as the bright-red star south
east Of Jupiter and northwest of Regulus in the
handle of the Sickle.
Mercury is evening star until the Goth, and
then morning star. On the 4th, at II o'clock In
the morning. he reaches his greatest eastern
elongatiOn, being 10 degrees sixteen minutes
east Of the sun. and at that time may possibly
be visible to the naked eye in the west soon
after sunset, though his southern declinatiOn is
not favorable to visibility. Venus may help the
observer in his search, for he is but short dis
tance to the southwest On the 4th Mercury
sets an hour and a half after the sun, and half
hour earlier than Venus. With so bright a
guide it will not be very difficult to find him.
If the evening is exceptionally clear He must
be looked for about a quarter after o'clock
On the Goth. at o'clock in the afternoon this
switt-winged planet has completed his course
as evening star, coming then into inferior con-
junction with the sun, and passing to his west
ern side to commence his short circuit as morn
Ing star.
Uranus is morning star He is in the constel-
lation Virgo, and is stationary nearly the whole
month.
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 8 o'clock.
THE MOON