Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-12-01
1.-THE STARRY COPE OF HEAvEN.''
The Display of Planets I'm December.

1.-THE STARRY COPE OF HEAvEN.''
The Display of Planets i'm December.
From the Providence Journal
Venus is evening star and wins the place of
honor as the most interesting member Of the
solar family during the month. She may be
distinctly seen soon after sunset in the west, q
short distancc-two and a half degrees-south
of the sunset point. Lovers of the stars will
rejoice to behold once more her beam,ng face.
Since the Goth Of September, when she became
evening star, she has been too near the sun to
be visible, but has now so far advanced towards
eastern elongation that she may easily be picked
up as a small, serenely bright star, remaining
above the horizon for an hour after the great
luminary from whom she bOrrOws leave to shine
has sunk below It, 1t will be an interesting
study to note the increasing size and brilliancy
OF the fair evening STAR as night after night she
fingers longer before setting, travelling slowly
northward. as we'll as eastward, until at the end
OF the month she will be found above the hOri-
ION two hours after sunset. Observers who
command q 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.
Saturn is evening star, and II Venus takes
precedence as presenting more interesting
aspect, Saturn holds the palm tor being the
largest and most beautiful Of the 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 recognize Saturn, for he hangs below
this cluster, and west of red star known as
Aldebaran lie is travelling towards the sun and
reccding from the earth. In reality his size and
brightness are decreasing, though it would take
keen eye to detect any dimnution in the
beauty of his appearance,
Neptune Is evening star and presents but one
claim to notice during December. He is the
hrst OF the evening stars to make his appearance,
being high up towards the meridian at sunset,
and disappears below the horizon before sunrise.
MERCURY is evening star, and adds nothing of
Importance to the Incidents of the monthly
record. He, like Venus, is travelling from supe-
riOr conjunction to eastern eongation, though
he far outstrps her in the race.
URANUS is morning star, and attains distinc
ton in his class as the only planet contributing
an incident to the monthly notices. On the
goth, ut o'clock In the afternoon, he isin quad
nature with the sun, having accomplished half
his course from conjunction to opposition. Since
his last opposition he has been in an exception
ally favorable position for observation concern
Ing his disc and figure. The last time he was in
an equally favorable position was in the years
lSi2 and 1913, 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 as data for determining the time of the
planets axial rotation. Prof Schiaparclli of
Milan, improved the same opportunity for max
ing series of observations on the figure of
Uranus. The results agree with those made by
Prof Nader in 1S42 and 1S43, and indicate that
Uranus has the greatest ellipticity of any of the
planets excepting Saturn. The European OBJ
servers make the planets eipticity equal to
One-eieventh. Prof. YOung's results on similar
observations make the ellipticty little less, or
one-fou1tccnth. To those who have only seen
Uranus through an ordinary telescope as tiny
sphere OF q delicate sea-green hue it seems al
most beyond belief that powerful telescope
welded by q practical hand can reveal belts Oh
his disc and an clliptical outline to his figure.
Jupiter Is morning star. the present being the
last month in which he will play this part for
some time to come, for his increasing splendor
and the early hour of his rising are sure indica-
lions that lie is near opposition. He will be the
most superb star in the heavens on moOness
nights throughout the month. appearing above
the horizon now at half-past o'clock, and ris-
ing earlier every night until at the end of the
month lie will appear at half-past o'clock The
famous red spot that for five years 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 discov-
cred the cause that produced it, If any vestige
great telescopes used in scanning the face OF our
giant brother
Mars is morning star. He may readily be re-
cogniZed by his proximity to JUPITER as ruddy
star short distance southeast of his more bril-
liant rival. Just now he is wandering away
from Jupiter and drawing near to Regulus. the
bright star on the east. He will soon reach OPP
position and for month before and q month
after that event will be seen in the brightest
phase lie Will attain for more than two years.
TIE MOON.
The December moon ful!s on the 18th at TWEEN
ty-eght minutes after 10 o'clock standard tine.
On the first, the new moon Of the goth of No.
vembcr is in conjunction with Venus about half
past four o'clock in the morning. being deg 8
min. north. On the evening of the first the
moon sets about two hours and Venus one hour
after the sun. Sharp-sighted observers may
pick up the fair star and the slender crescent,
though they Will be past conjunction and not
very near each other. This is the first of series
of views in which during the winter we shall be-
mold some OF the most charming pictures ever
painted On the celestial canvas, those of
Venus and the young moon in conjunction.
On the Nth the moon pays her respects to Nep-
tune. On the 18th she makes close conjunc-
ton with Saturn, being about one degree south
In some places in southern decnation Saturn
is occulated by the moon for the ninth and last
TIME curing inc year. On the 10th the moon is
at her nearest point to Jupiter. on the 18th to
Mars on the 2lst to Uranus, and on the 3lst to
Mercury. On the 3lst the moon has made the
circuit of the planets, and swings round for the
second time to the near neighborhood of Venus
The conjunction takes'place not far from half
past clock in the afternoon when Venus is
degrees 81 minutes south. Planet and cres-
cent will, however, make a lovely picture on
the evening sky. AS the moon sets two hours
and q hall and Venus two hours after the sun,
the exhibition may be seen by all observers.
unless the envious clouds obscure the beautiful
scene.
Hunting with Baking Powder.
From the Sacramento Record Union.
few days since couple of University chaps
came up from the Bay on visit to Sacramento