Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1883-11-07
PLANETS IN NOVEMBER.
From the Providence Journal.

! From the Providence Journal.
| Saturn is morning star until the 18th. ana
| then evening star. If We class the planets
according to the interest attached 10 their
movements during the month, Saturn will
undoubtedly win first place. On the 2Sth,
at II o'clock in the evening, Saturn reaches
his eliminating point in size and brilliancy
for the present year He is then opposite
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 appear
ance. A straight line drawn from the sun
to the earth would, if fextended,p pass through
Saturn. Instead Of being Ola 900, 900 miles
| from the earth, his distance at conjunction
| is S3l 900 900 miles. But his earnes5 to us
| is not the only reason for his beautiful ap-
pearancc. His rings are open nearly TO their
widest extent and he is approaching peri
helion which, while bringing him more than
| 100 ,OOO, 900 miles nearer the sun than he Is
when in aphelen, brings him also nearer 10
the earth. He will therefore, be q superb
object for observation during the month
| being above the horizon nearly the entire
night and needing no one to point him out
as he pursues his shining course near the
Pleiades and Aldebaran. Clear-sighted OBJ
servers who can detect one or more Of Jupl-
| ter 5 moons with the naked eye, may see him
! in an elongated form, on acconnt ofhis wide.
| ly-open rings. A telescope oi moderate
power will give surprisingly lovely pic
turc of the ring-girdled planet. and every
one interested in astronomy should, If pos
pl, "a wonder
heavens.
Jupiter is morning star throughout the
month Though he now yields the first place
to Saturn. he fills the second with such dis.
tinguished grace that when his prlncoly
head appears above the eastern hills star
nazers paw Involuntary homage to the no
blest member Of the suns family. Observ-
ers will now obtain the first glimpse CT this
| planet about half-past ten O'Clock in the
evening As he rises four minutes earlier
every evening. being, like the stars, carried
westward by the earth's motion in her or
bit, ne will rise about half-past eight o'clock
at The close Of the month. Those who de-
sire to observe a planet in stationary as
pect will find a brilliant illustration in this
beaming planet, for he scarcely changes his
position during the mouth.
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 exctcs His increase in size
and ruddy color are plainly apparent, for
| his diameter has more than doubled since
| the 1st OF October. As he rises now
| twenty-five minutes after Jupiter. he may
readily be found from his proximity to his
| more brilliant brother Mars illustrates
direct motion during the month, that is, he
| is moving eastward according to the signs of
| the zodiac.
| Venus is evening star during the month,
| the only planet playing this part without
change. She will not long remain low on
the list, but will soon put forth her claims
| to notice as the taircst of the winter stars.
| Though setting now forty minutes after the
sun. at the end Of the month she will be
above the horizon little more than an hour
after sunset, She must then be looked for
two degrees and half south of the sunset
point and she will he both dim and small in
| the glowing twilight.
Neptune is morning star until the l2th:
! when he becomes evening star. He retains
his pre-emncnce until that time among the
planets on the morning roll, as the first to
make his appearance in the field. On the
! 18th, at o'clock in the morning, tho event
| in his career most interesting to terrestrial
observers takes place. He is in opposition
| with the SUM- As the word implies, he
is opposite The sun being $50 degrees
in longitude from him, and also at his near.
| est point to the earth. An observer on the
sun endowed with visual power to take in
the system nj Il glance, would behold the
earth, and Neptune far beyond directly in
line. He would also find just before Nep-
tunes opposition, six Of the seven planets
| leaving out the earth, on one side of the sun,
and Venus as the sole planetary representa-
tive on the other side. The movements of
the planets as seen from the sun would be
far less complicated than when they are
seen from the earth, who is herself moving,
swayed by the same laws that govern the
suns whole family. Naptune at opposition
is under the most favorable conditions for
being SEEN He is now among the small
stars of the constellation Aries, near the
boundary line Of Taurus, and nearly west
of Aldebaran, the only bright star in his
ncighborhood. 4 good telescope sweeping
the field where he lies will quickly detect
his presence, for small, il-deined sphere
with perceptible disc will suddenly spring
into being. while the surrounding stars still
remain as mere points Of light. Neptunian
astronomers have al advantage over terres-
tial ones and can find little difficulty in masu-
ring the distance of the fixed stars. While
the earth has only 1so,oOo,0oo miles-the
diameter of her orbit-for base line, Nep-
tune sweeps round the sun in vast orbit,
whose diameter or base line is $3.50 600
miles. But there are disadvantages to
to counterbalance this advantage. It takes
Neptune l65 of our years to 60 once around
the sun, and Neptunian astronomers must
wait more than eighty years to make meas
urements in opposite points of the orbit.
The sun as seen in the Neptunian sky
measures G4W little more than the great
est apparent diameter Of Venus as seen
from the earth. Our glorious orb 10 the
i Nantunians is hut q brilliant star GIVING