Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-04-04
Planets in April.



Venus is morning star aud Is still the fairest
OF the train. as she holds her state in the east
ern sky, ans! heraids the coming of the sun She
is now approaching the sun as she travels On the
path leading from western eiongation to supe-
riOr CONJUNCTION: her progress is seemingly so
slow that she will not reach the goal and finish
her course as morning star until the Goth Of
September. Observers will note the rapid pro-
gress OF Venus nOrthward. At the close of the
month she will be twelve degrees farther north
than she was at it's commencement
Mars is morning star, but Is now too near the
sun and too insignificant in size to be Of much
| account. A better time is coming and before
many months have passed he will become an
object Of prominent interest as he approaches
opposition. Like Venus, he is moving rapidly
nOrthward. At the close of the month he will
be in northern decnatiOn, having travelled nine
degrees north during the month. The farther
north the planets are in this latitude, the more
favOrably they are situated for observation and
the longer is the circuit they make above the
horizon.
Mercury is morning star until the 10Th. and
then evening star for the rest of the month. On
the 10th, at o'clock in the morning he is in
superior conjunction with the sun. passing be-
hind him. and appearing on his eastern side to
play his short role Of evening star. He is the
most active member of the solar cOmmunity On
the 9th, rushing eastward at full tilt. with a
sun as possible. he encounters Neptune, plod-
ding westward with tOrtose-pace and striving
to get as near the sun as possible. They have a
conjunction, passing each other at the respect
| full distance offs degrees. The meeting on the
celestial road is Invisible to terrestrial obsery-
ers on account OF the proximity to the sun OF
the actors i'm the scene. Mercury is travelling
north faster than either Venus or Mars.
Neptune is evening star. and the leader In the
order of rising and setting of the four great
lad in fho
evening stars. He has nearly reached his great
est distance from the earth, and is so far away
and so near the SUM- that the largest telescope
in the world would fail to bring him to view His
conjunction with Mercury has been referred to-
The increasing distance between Neptune and
Saturn is worthy of note, for, as the former is
thirteen years in passing through constellation
of the zodiac, and Saturn is only two years and
half, the distance between them must in
crease.
Saturn is evening star, and may be seen in the
west for about three hours after sunset. He is
now nearly south of the Pleiades, and presents
no feature or special interest to the ordinary
observer. Even the telescopist will soon have
to take season Of rest, for the hinged planet
will soon be hidden from view by his close
approach to the sun. The observation will,
however, be comparatively short, for those who
see lon near opposition next autumn will behold
him in a more magnificent aspect than the one
he has presented during the past autumn and
winter.
Jupiter Is evening star, the third in the order
Of setting, but the leader of the planetary
brotherhood in size and brilliancy. He dis
tingulshes himself by no noteworthy deeds. but
pursues the even tenor Of his way, accepting
with gracious cOndescensiOn the involuntary
homage OF all behOlders.
Uranus Is evening star, and may still be seen
by the unaided eye as very faint star In clear
weather on moonless nights His position
varies little from that pointed out last month a
little southeast of Beta Virgins, the largest star
in his vicinity.
The April moon fulls on the 22d at forty three
minutes after six o'clock In the morning The
old moon is near Venus on the 4th. Mars on the
9Th and Mercury on the 9th. The new moon of
the 18th Is near Neptune and Saturn on the 9th.
The conjunction of the two-days'-oldc crescent
with Saturn will be the most interesting phe
nomenon of the month, the moon passing forty
the moon is In conjunction with Jupiter, and on
the 18th committees her planetary circuit by
drawing near to Uranus.
On the 22d the moon Is eclipsed. As the
eclipse is invisible in this region. though visible
on the Pacific coast, the Pacific ocean and Asia.
and as less than one-tenth of her diameter is
eclipsed, the occurrence will not be of much
consequence.
April is dull month on planetary records.
Scarcely an incident of note enliyens its mon.
otOnous routine. An Invisible eclipse of the
moon; an Invisible occultatiOn of Beta Capri
cOrni; an invisible conjunction Of Mercury and
Neptune; an invisible conjunction Of Venus and
Lambda Aquarii, complete the unsatisfactory
aspects Of the planets But all days are not fleld
days. Stars must have their seasons of rest AZ
well as planets and human beings. Before MANY
months have passed, meetings and partings
on the celestial road will be as conspicuous
by their presence a. they are now by their
absence; life will be astir among our neighbors.
the planets, and we shall welcome their rean,
pearance, surrounded by all their former pres
tfge Even without exciting events, nothing
can be more grand than the dome Of heaven
powdered with stars; nothing more varied than
the celestial picture nightly unrolled over our
shining picture that Il IL sometimes hidden bv
clouds, and that It IL not always seen In its
most brilliant phase. Emerson says and ali
who love to study the heavens will endorse his
view: "If the stars should appear one night In
adore, and preserve, for many generations, the
nhxanco Of tha ctr n Ge>d that had ~.