Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-03-03

the front during the month Of March. He Is
entitled to special honors for two reasons-he
reaches opposition. the most important epoch
in his course, and he is family visible to the
naked eye. He is in opposition with the sun on
the 18th at midnight. This means that when
the sun is in the west he is In the east, rising
when the sun sets. and setting when the sun
rises. If we could be transported to the sun.
and endowed with eyes to see, straight line
extending from that point Of Jew would pierce
the earth. and, If extended. reach Uranus, thus
showing the earth and Uranus at their nearest
point of approach. No one dreamed that there
could be planet beyond Saturn until 1881,
when Herschel accidentally discovered Uranus
while observing the stars, and realized so little
the prize he had found as to consider the new
planet nothing but an ordinary comet. Uranus
at opposition becomes evening star. and Joins
his brother planets. Neptune. Saturn and Jupi-
ter. on the eastern side Of the sun. the four
giant planets playing the same role, and all
travelling from opposition to cOnjuncton
Though Uranns when brightest as at present,
has a diameter of not quite four seconds, he
shines as a star OF the sixth magnitude, and can
therefore be seen with the naked eye. He is in
the constellation Virgo. near Beta Virgins, a
star OF the third magnitude. in the southern
wing OF the Virgin, and nearly twelve degrees
south OF Dembola. in the Lion. Agood observer,
with these directions, knowing his right ascen-
to pick up this far-away planet on any clear,
moonless night during the month, as small,
faint star. At 8 o'clock in the evening he will
be in the eastern sky, about halfway to the
meridian. telescope view is more interest
ing, for there he appears as q well-defined little
moon. of delicate sea-green hue A good in
strument will bring out two oI his four moons
but the other two are among the most difficult
objects in the solar system to detect and are
never seen excepting in the largest telescopes
in the world.
Jupiter is evening star. Though entitled to
tie first place for the brlliancy of his appear
ance, he surely wins the second for the Incl
dents he contributes to the planetary studies of
the month. He is splendid to behold as he
proudly looks down from the zenith and is al
On the 18th. at 9 O'Clock in the morning. he
the halfway house between
opposition and conjunction. He is then on the
meridian at o'clock rises at MONDAY and sets
at midnight. This is one OF his most interest
ing aspects. for his brightness has scarcely
grown dim since opposition, ana he is so Sit
uated that he is easily brought into the teles-
copic field. These are the nights when he is
superb in the woodworking instrument.
Just now there is great excitement among OBJ
servers. The regal planet has lost one of his
most interesting appendages. The 'great red
spot has almost entirely disappeared from his
disc. This wonderful phenomenon appeared in
1873. 1t was about twenty-siX thousand miles
long, and six or eight thousand miles wide, the
shape was incongruOus, and the color was a
delicate shade of rose. There has been no end
to the attention it has received and the eager
ness with which it has been observed. Now it
has gone, and the men of science are little the
wiser for the attention they have given to it,
and the accuracy with which they have meas
ured its revolutions. Various theories have
been elaborated to account for it, Some OF the
scientists think it was an enormous rift in Ju-
pliers cloud atmosphere, revealing the more
solid nucleus beneath. Others think that it was
a Stag or crust formed on the semi-fuid sur
face ofthe planet. revolving with 1t and grad
ually melting down till it has nearly vanished,
Others think it was huge cloud. made up of
the smoke coming from a lOng-cOntinued vol
canic eruption in the chaotic mass underneath
Similar spots will doubtless take the place of
the one that has gone, and, some day, astrono-
mers may find out their meaning. But many a
red spot must run its course before light freaks
through the darkness that surrounds this giant
world. more like sun than planet.
Saturn is evening star, and thoughhe has per-
ceptibly grown dim since opposition. ranks next
to Jupiter in size and brightness There are no
noteworthy incidents in his course during the
MONTH as he slowly makes his way towards the
sun, seeming to move little from his position
southwest ofthe Pleiades. Observers will note
the shOrtness of his stay above the horizon as he
sets now half an hour before midnight, and
makes his transit about half-past o'clock in
the afternoon.
Neptune is evening star, and leads the giant
quartet in the time of rising and setting. The
space between himself and his brother Saturn is
gradually widening the former making his
transit seventeen minutes before the latter.
Mercury is morning star during the month.
and the most active member among the planets
that play this role. On the Sd. he reaches his
greatest western elOngatiOn. He is then 81 deg.
10 west of the sun, and is far enough from him
to be visible during nearly the first half of the
month. Although at elOngation, he is nearly as
far from the sun as possible, he is so far south
OF the sun. that he is not seen under as favor
able conditions as when north of the sun and at
less distance from him at elOngatiOn. There
are, however but three favorable occasions
during the year when he Is visible as morning
star. and the present comes first on the list.
observers who command a good view of the
eastern horizon will find him on exceptionally
clear mornings, about three-quarters of an
hour before sunrise, not far from nine degrees
south OF the sunrise point.
Mars Is morning star, and at the beginning Of
the month Is nearest to the sun of the morning
stars.
Venus is morning star, and though placed last
on the list, Is by no means least. She is superb
object In the morning sky. rising two hours and
quarter before the sun and continuing visible
till within few minutes of sunrise. She has,
however, fallen from her highest estate her
bright face grows DIM and her stay above the
horizon decreases as she wends her way towards
THE MOON.
The March moon fulls on the 23d, at twenty
minutes past o'clock in the evening. The full
March moon plays an important part in the
affairs of men. For as she fulls three days after
the vernal equinox, she determines, in accord
ance with the law, that Easter shall fall on the
following Sunday. the 25th and Easter, in turn
determines the other movable feasts and fasts of
the church. The short time Intervening between
the vernal equinox and the full of the moon
brings Easter this year within three days of the
earliest date the festival can occur In 1918,
Easter fell on the 22d of March, the earliest date
possible. Such will not be the case again either
In this or the following century, The moon
pays her respects to the planets in the following
order: The waning moon is near Venus on the
9Th. and near Mercury and Mars on the 7th. The
new moon Of the 9Th is in conjunction with
Neptune on the 18th. Saturn on the 18th, Jupi-
ter on the 18th. and Uranus on the 22d. She
presents five phases during the month, being
seen in the last quarter on the I'd and on the
31st.
A Pointed Tale.
From the Detroit Free Press.
Jack Pringle is man who never wastes an
opportunity. or puts off for tomorrow the Joke
that can be done to-day. Going down street