The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-11-04
PLANETS IN NOVEMBER.
A Forecast Of the Heaveps-SOme Dots
for Students or Astronomy.
Providence Journal


the 18th. at ii O'Clock in the evening. Sa-
turn is In opposition with the sun, reach
| ing his eliminating point i'm size and bril-
( liancy for the present year. He is then OPP
posite 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 appearance. A straight line drawn
| from the sun TO the earth would,
il extended. pass through Saturn. In
stead Of being 1,01i,0O0.000 miles from
| the earth, his distance at conjunction is
931, 0O0, 900 miles. But his nearneSs TO us
Is not the only reason for his beautiful APP
pearance. His rings are open nearly to
their widest extent. and he is approaching
perihelion, which, while bringing him
more than hundred million miles nearer
the sun than he is when in apheliOn. brings
| him also nearer to the earth. He will.
therefore, be a superb object for obserya-
ton during the mcnth. being above the
horizon nearly the entire night, and need
| inc no one TO point him out as he pur-
sues his shining course near the Plei-
AIDES and Aldebaran. Clear-sighted OBJ
servers, 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 wiGely-Open rings. A telescope OF
moderate power will give a surprisingly
| lovely picture OF the ring-girdled planet,
and every one interested in astronomy
| should, ii possible, obtain n view OF this
wonder Of the heavens. On the lst, ut
midnight. Saturn was in conjunction with
Alpha Tauri, or Adebarln, the star being
three and hglf degrees south. This is the
| - 10, for. mad
planet during the year, the previous one
having occurred on the 18th OF August, at
nearly the same point i'm the sky. There
| fore, Saturn is nearly in the same place in
the heavens he occupied in August, al
though he has since been wandering in his
orbit, ~ planets are wont to do, sometimes
apparently straight forward, sometimes
backward, and sometimes remaining sta
tionary,
The right ascension OF Saturn is 4h.
pom. his declination is 100 46/ north, and
his diameter IS l9".
Saturn rose on the LIST at haf-past 6
O'Clock in the evening; on the 3lst he sets
a few minutes before ! O'Clock in the
morning.
JUPITER Is morning star throughout the
month Though he now yields the first
place TO saturn. he fills the second with
such distinguished grace that, when his
princely head appears above the eastern
hills, star-gaZerS pay involuntary homage
TO the nObest member OF the suns family.
Observers will now obtain the first glimpse
OF this planet about half-past 10 O'Clock
in the evening. As he rises four minutes
earlier every evening, being, like the
stars, carried westward by the earth's
motion i'm her orbit, he will rise about
half-paSt O'Clock at the close OF
the month. ON the 22d Jupiter is sta
tionary near PTRsepe, the same cluster Of
stars through which Mars passed in Octo'
Der. Those who desire to observe planet
In a stationary aspect will ind brilliant
illustration in this beaming planet. for he
scarcely changes his position during the
month.
The right ascension of Jupiter is Sh.
2jm.. his declination is 1870 80 north, and
his diameter is 81" 6.
Jupiter rose on the 1st at half-past 10
O'Clock i'm the evening: on the goth he
rises at half-past O'Clock.
MARS Is morning star. Though he con-
tributes no incidents TO the annals OF the
month, he wins the third place for the in
terest he eXcites. His increase in size and
rudy color are plainly apparent, for hi
diameter has more than doubled since the
1st OF October. As he rises now twenty
two minutes after Jupiter, he may readily
, be found from his proximity to his more
, brilliant brother. Mars illustrates direc
d motion during the mOnth-that Is, he i
moving eastward according to the signs o
p the zodiac.
The right ascension OF Mars is Sh. Am.
his declnatiOn is 100 lS/ north, and hi
g diameter is If" 6.
e Mars rose on the lst at ten minutes be
= fore II O'Clock in the evening; on the 30tI
: he rises a quarter before 10 O'Clock.
e VENUS is evening star during the month
c the only planet playing this part withou
e chnage. She will not long remain low OF
the list, but will soon put forth her claim
Y to notice as the fairest OF the winter stars
!. Though setting now forty minutes after th
: sun. at the end OF the month she will b
o above the horizon little more than al
. hour after sunset. She must then be locke,
/. for, far south in the constellation Sagtta
a rius, two degrees and half south Of tn
!. sunset point. and she will be both dim an,
/. small in the glowing twilight.
< The right ascension Of Venus is ljh. 9m
her declination is ITO 2j> south, and he
diameter is 1912.
+ Venus set on the lst about hali-past
!! O'Clock in the evening; on the Both sh
: sets about half-past O'Clock.
NEPTUNE is morning star until the 12tl
q when he becomes evening star. He r,
= tails his prominence until that tim
9 among the planets on the morning 10
- rs the first TO make his appearance i'm In
" field. ON the 18th, at 4 O'clock in N
morning, the event in his career most il
81" leresting to terrestrial observers tax,
place. He is i'm opposition with the SUI
e. As the word implies, he is opposite I'll
i sun, being 1902 in longitude from hin
'r and also a. his nearest point to the eartl
1T An observer or the sun endowed Wit
x visual power to take in the system at
= glance would behold the earth, and Nel
ne tune far beyond directly in line. He woul
e. also find, Just before Neptune's oppos
NJ ton, six OF the seven planets, leaving OF
Is the earth. on one side OF the sun, and v
1T nus as the sole planetary representative o
ii the other side. The movements Of Il
a. planets as seen from the sun would be 1,
ess complicated than when they are see
from the earth, who is herself moving
u. swayed by the same laws that govern Il
suns whole family. Neptune at oppos
ton is under the most favorable cOnd
tons for being seen. He is now anon
r the small stars OF the constelIatio
d Aries, near the boundary line
~ Taurus, and nearly west OF Aldebaral
D. the only bright star in his neighborhoo'
lg A good telescope sweeping the field wheI
ia he lies will quickly detect his presenc
st for small, il-defined sphere with pc
he ceptible disc will suddenly spring in
ut being, while the surrounding stars still r
he main as mere points of light. Neptuni1
g astronomers have an advantage over te
III restrial ones, and can find little difficulty
ID measuring the distance OF the fixed star