The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-02-05
Planets in February.
rprovidarca .JOurna11

Neptune is evening star. If the planets
are Classified in the order of rising, he wins
the first place, for being the first to rise, he
heads the stately procession of the outer
members of the system. Neptune sets on
the 1st at quarter after one o'clock In the
morning; on the 2oih he sets at half-pass
eleven o'clock in the evening.
Saturn is evening star and the second Of
the outer planets in the order of rising. He
is beautiful object in the heavens, and may
readily be recognized shining with serene
light from point nearly between Pleiades
and Aldebaran. He is near his greatest
northern decliDation, near perihellon, and
near the point where his rings are most
widely open. These favorable positions
eliminating in 1885, thirty years must pass
before the same conditions are repeated.
Saturn is in the quadrature on the eastern
side of the sun on 22d at noon day. Saturn
sets on the 1st at half-past two o'clock in
the morning; on the 29th he sets quarter
before one O'clock.
Jupiter is evening star, and the third Of
the outer planets in the order of rising.
Although he has passed opposition, and 10
increasing his distance from the earth in his
apparent course, he is a magnificent object.
He is now more than an hour high at sun
set, and traverses the sky with stately step
till an hour before sunrise, when he slowly
sinks below the western horizon. Castor
and Pollux are north of their brilliant lead
er, Procyon is south, Mars follows in his
train, and superb Orion and glittering Siri-
us precede him towards the southwest. Ju-
piter sets on the LIST at half past six o'clock
in the morning.; on the 10th he sets about
half past four o'clock.
Mars is evening star, and the fourth in
the order of rising. he reaches the most
Interesting epoch in his course, his opposi-
lion with the sun. This occurs on the 1st
at six O'Clock in the morning. Mars then
turns 10 us his broad, round face, our plan
ct directly intervening between him aud the
sun, bringing the two planets at their near
est approach to each other.
Mars sets ON the 1st about half-past seven
o'clock in the morning; on the goth he sets
at quarters after five O'clock.
Venus is evening star, and by far the love-
liest of the brilliant quartet of planets that
shed their radiance on the winter nights.
She is moving rapidly northward, reaching
northern declination on the 11ih, and at the
end OF the month being LAP north Of the sun
set point. This northward progress is easi-
ly discernible, and brings her into q more
favorable position for observation.
mercury Is morning star throughout the
month. He reaches his greatest western
elongation on the 18Th, at eleven o'clock in
the evening, and is then 26o ~ west of the
sun. He rises on the 1st, not far from six
O'Clock in the morning; on the 10Th, he rises
also about six o. clock.
The February moon fulls on the 10th, at
forty-eight minutes after eleven o'clock in
The evening, standard time. As she swings
her ponderous globe between us and the
planets she first draws pear Neptune on the
4th, the day of her first quarter, passing IL
south. Sne next approaches Saturn on the
9th, passing 10 lS south. Ol the 9th she 10
near Jupiter, on the 10th near Mars, on the
18th near Uranus, and on the "a near
Mercury. On the 10Th the three-days-old
moon is near Venus, passing 32' south. I'M
fortunately the conjunction takes place ..
seven minutes afteI ten o'clock in the morn
ing. When crescent and star become vsi-
bic in the evening sky they will not be near
enough together to make their most brilliant
impression on the eye of the spectator.