Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-07-01

premacy but short time, for he Is rapidly
approaching his greater rival, the sun, 10
whose overpowering beams his lesser hight
win be eclipsed. Even the giant Jupiter
has 20 succumb 10 the mighty power OF the
great central ORC. and, ~ u were, be blotted
from the sky when he darcs to cucroach on
the solar domain. Jupiter, fastening to-
ward the sun, y met on the way by Mer.
rury, the smallest OF bis brother-planets,
Fastening from the sun, They are IN con-
junction on The 23d, an event already re-
ferrcd 10.
The right ascension Of Jupiter on the
LIST II si. 40m., bis declination Is 1872 north,
and his diameter Is 30sf.2.
Jupiter sets on the td soon after 8
O'Clock In The evening; on the 3lst he sets
No half.past O'clock In the evening.
Mars = evening star. He Is near Uranus
during the whole month. setting about a
ialf.hour earlier on the 1st. aud quarter
OF an hour later ON the 3lst. Meantime,
they meet and PASS each other, bein. In
CONJUNCTION on the 10th ut 2 O'Clock ia the
afternoon, W en- Mars Is IL south Of IRA
nus. There are difficulties In the way oil
observing the planetary conjunction. IL
occurs At daylight, and II the conditions
were favorable |, would require powerful
telescope 10 pick up Uranus, now far away
from the Garth. while Mars is approaching
his most Insignificant aspect.
The right ascension Of Mars on the list Is
lib. Am, bis dscliuaiion Is 60 jF north,
and bis diameter Is SIS.
Mars sets on the 1st about quarter be.
fore III O'Clock In the evening; on the 3lst
he sets at halI-past o'clock.
URANUS ~ evening star. Beside being in
conjunction with Mars, he is very near
Beta Virgins, star Of tue third magni-
tude in the constellation Virgo. The con-
junction takes place on the 30th at noon
day, the planet being then but q north OF
the star.
Interesting observations on Uranus have
recently been made by VI. Perrotin and
Mr.. Lockyer ut the Observatory in Nice.
They found bright spot near the lower
limb OF the planet that further observation
showed was near the equator. IL was
very difficult object, and much doubt was
felt rs 10 its real existence. But repeated
observations confirmed the first impress
sions, and made them conclude that they
saw luminous belt instead OF band.
they deduced from their observations q
rotation period Of about ten hours. Thus
these trained observers actually saw this
huge sphere rotating on its axis, as they
watched the progress OF the luminous spot
over The disc, though they were nearly
2,0C0,0 100000 miles away.
THE MOON.
The July moon fulls on the Sth, at II
minutes past . O'Clock in the morning,
STANDARD time. On the 18th, two days
after the last quarter, she is near Nep-
tune. and on the 18th near Saturn. Or
toe DIST, the day before new moon, she IL
near Venus. On the 23d, the one-day-old
moon Is near Jupiter and Mercury. On
the 2Gth she Is in conjunction with IRA
nus and Mars, thus passing each plane
in turn, and showing the order OF their
position in regard to the sun. The old
moon draws near Neptune. Saturn, and
Venus. morning stars, on the suns west
orn side. The new moon draws near
Jupiter, Mercury, Uranus, and Mars, eve
ming stars. on the suns eastern side.
The moon occults only three small stars
that are visible in this belt OF the worlds
territory. Observers from other loOkouts
are more favored. FOR the moon occultS
Neptune TO observers in some localities be-
tween 44o and 40 south latitude, and oc-
cults Venus, that most charming sight, to
some favored mortals looking upward be-
tween the limiting parallels OF 9O' and 5i0
north latitude.