Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-03-12
PLANETS IN MARCH.
Qrrorn the Providence journal. }

| Neptune is evening star and rapidly APP
preaching conjunction with the sun. Those
who follow the movements Of the planets
from month TO month can readily perceive
their approach to the sun by the time of
their rising and setting. Thus Neptune sets
| on the last Of the month, at balfpast nine
o'clock in the evening, about three hours
after the sun At the end of april he will
set about bali-pas seven o'clock, half hour
after The sun, and on the 10th Of May he
will be in conjunction or will rise and set
with ti0 sun.
Saturn is evening star coming next 10
| Neptune in the order Of rising. Ho will be
beautiful object in the western sky during
the month, making his transit now about
sunset, and holding q prominent position
between his body guards, the clustering
! PleiaGes on one side and red Aldebaran on
| the other.
Jupiter is evening star. He makes his
transit now about 9 o'clock in the evening
so that he is nearly half way TO the zenith
when il is darl; enough for him to become
visible He seems 10 look down upon ter
restrial observers with friendly eyes as he
travcI5cs his starry path with stately step,
and wins tributes Of admiration not unmiN-
cd with awe from all bcholders, especially
from those vino are fortunate enough to see
the superb appearance be presents in pow
crfll telescope, with his radiant belts, spots
and revolving moons.
Mars is evening star. He is stationary in
the middle Of the month and Jupiter pre-
scnts The same aspect later in the month.
Mars is still !; brilliant object among the
| stars, but observers will note that his luster
dim. more rapidly than that of Jupiter and
Saturn. The ruddy planet is Of little inn
portance, excepting for II month before and
q month after his opposition. AS this epoch
occurs bat once III TWO years and fifty days,
the favorable times for Observing our nearest
outer celestial neighbor should be carefully
improved. The year 1886 must take its
turn before he will again be rs bright as he
is at present.
| Uranus is morning star until the 10th.
when his name is registered on the roll Of
| evening stars. He is then in the height Of
his glory 10 observers on this planet, for he
| is visible TO the naked eye as star Of the
| sixth magnitude, the human eye being able
to scan this distant orb, though he is nearly
eighteen hundred million miles away. The
| reason Uranus is visible is because on the
10Th, at > o'clock in the morning, he is in
opposition with the sun and at his nearest
| point 10 the earth. Alter this event the
i've outer planets are evening stars, and are
all travelling from opposition 10 conjunction
in the following order: Neptune, Saturn,
| Jupiter, Mars and Uranus.
Uranus has been Il known member Of the
sofa. family only since l1S1, a little more
than a century, Il centennial celebration ID
his honor having taken place three years
ago. He was discovered by accident, for
Sir Wm. Herschel The discoverer, thought
| he had picked up Il stray comet instead of a
world The new comet was duly announc-
! ed and luathcmatCians went TO work try
| ing 10 compute It's orbit, but all in vain,
| their figures would not work. Finally, the
theory was started that the astronomical
prize, cn!eessly picked up in the sky, was
another planet revolving outside the six
| planets that had been known from time im-
memorial. With this clue for 4 guide COM
puutions worked like q charm, and soon
| The new conner was mathematically impri-
soned in an orbit whose deviations were TO
be lDe means Of showing the presence of
still another planet, Neptune, the latest,
though probably not the last, addition to
the suns family AS seen by mortal eyes.
There WAS great rejoicing IN the scientific
world over the advent OF the new planet. 1t
was soon found that observers had detected
his presence, and marked his position on
posing him TO be fixed STAR never dream
ing that the dim starry point was planet.
Flamsteed had seen the star five times,
noting it on his catalogue as of the sixth
magnitude, the first observation being III
1890 nearly a century before Herschels dis
coverv. Lemonnier came nearer to win
ming the prize, for he had observed the
planet twelve times, making several obser-
yations within q few weeks in l16S-'69 II
he had taken the trouble to reduce
and compare his observations he might
| have won the prize twelve years previous. But
hc had no system i'll his arrangements, and his
papers are said to have been very picture OF
chaos An intricate observation of this very star
was recorded on q paper bag that had contained
perfumcd hair powder
Venus is evening star, and Is during the month
:. radiant representative OF the solar fraternity
She seldom presents more favorable conditions
for observation. She is moving rapidly north
ward approaching the earth, approaching her
eastern clungation. and remaining longer every
night above the horizon after the sun has set
speeding away from the Rreat iuminarT on the
invisible wire which she seems TO be strung
like q golden bead. On the 9th, at . o'clock III
the evening, she is in con junction with Neptune
as VIC have already described. Venus seen through
the telescope presents the phase OF the Slbbous
moon when passing from the full to the last quar-
tnr There are three points to be noted in regard
TO Venus during the hohth-he[ raPid progress
northward, her progress eastward and her long
stav above the horizon after sunset. These arc
nas;ly disccrnibe 20 the unscientltic observer
and are all due 10 her spparent progress in hel
orbit as she advances from superior conjunction
/ TO eastern clonsaton.
) Mercury is morning star and after the 10th thu
sole planet enjoying this distinction de retain:
the honor only till the 3Oth, becoming evening
/, star. so that the month closes with every ono
our hrother-plancts congrcgated on the eastern
side of the sun. On the 3Oth, at 3 o'clock IN th'
,rtornoon Morcprv i in sllperior conjunction