The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-03-30

| nphelion. He Is at this epoch az much
farther from the earth as he Is nearer to the
sun. These variations in distance produce
a corresponding variation in brillancy.
| Therefore Mercury must be in apheion a.
well as In high northern declination TO
present his brightest aspect as seen from
! the earth.
| The smallest planet contributes the
largest share to the incidents OF the month.
He is in his ascending node on the 5th IN
periheiion on the 10th; IN his greatest
beliOcentric latitude north on the 10th; in
conjunction with Neptune on the Dist; al
bis greatest eastern elongatiOn on the 25th {:
and Ia conjunction with the moon on the
26th.
The right ascension OF Mercury on the
LIST IL Oh. Gen., his declination Is 81 13>
north, and his diameter is 81.
Mercury sets on the LIST at hai-past G
O'Clock in the evening; on the 3lst he sets
soon after half-past O'Clock.
| VENUS is evening star. Though last on
the list, she is the largest, fairest, and
most brilliant in the grand array OF
planets, playing the same r6le, that OF eve
ming stars. All the planets are, on the LIST.
grouped on the suns eastern side In the
following order OF nearness to the great
luminary Mercury. Neptune, Venus. Sa-
turn, Jupiter, Mars, and Uranus. Before
the month closes the order will be changed.
for Mecury meets and passes Neptune. and
Venus changes place with Saturn. Ii is
unusual for all the planets to be evening
stars through the entire month. But
planetary movements. like Kaleidoscope.
forever presents new aspects, and never
repeat the same programme. We shall
never again behold the exact configura-
ton OF stars that this night sparkle
IN the ornament. Well do the planets de.
serve the name OF wanderers, from their
unceaslng movement over the celestial
track, blind maze TO the unScientifc OBJ
server, wondrOus eXemplifcatiOn Of hea.
yenly harmony and obedience TO physical
law. clear a. the daylight to those who
comprehend the laws that bind together
the solar family. Little do the stars de-
serve to be called fixed stars. Though
they look m0t0nless and imperturbable,
they are in state OF constant change.
Some are rushing toward us. some are re-
ceding from us. Stars are dying; stars are
being born. Nebul9 are quickening into
life, and systems are going into de-
cay. Even the great sun himself,
with his attendant worlds. is speeding
through space around some unknown CEN
tire. A few thousand wears hence the
familiar considerations will have changed
their forms, and the present polar star Will
no longer point to the pole OF the earth
And yet how peaceful is the picture that
on starlit nights is unroled over our
heads How fixed and immoyable the
stars appear! How serenely the fairest Of
the planets treads her May path, lust now
so rarely beautiful as she OsciIlates east.
ward from the sun, while so accurately
have human observers mapped her course
That the moment when she turns her steps
towards the sun is as reliably computed as
the increase OF the days or the changes of
the moon.
The right ascension Of Venus on the lst
is 3h. 29m.. her declination is 300 So
north, and her diameter is 1874.
Venus sets on the LIST soon after 10
O'Clock IN the evening; on the Both she sets
few minutes before II o'clock.
THE MOON.
The April moon fulls on the 10th al
forty-four minutes after 6 o'clock. stand.
ard time. and wins the honor OF being the
Easter moon and thus determining for the
year the dates for the movable fastS and
feasts OF the Church. Or the Sd, the day
after the first quarter, the moon is in con.
function with Jupiter on the ith she is at
her nearest point TO Mars, and on the Sth
Uranus. She then proceeds on her way
without drawing near 10 pllnet until
the 18th, the day after her change. when
she is in conjunction with Neptune and
| Mercury. ON the 9th she is in coniunc-
ton with Saturn, and on the 2Sth with
| Venus.
TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE MOON.
| A total eclipse OF the moon occurs on
the 10th. partly visible in this vicinity. and
visible As a total eclipse in portions Of
North America, the Pacific ocean, and
Asia. The eclipse begins three minutes
after O'Clock in the morning, standard
time. The total phase commences at
eleven minutes after O'Clock, Just before
the moon sets, when the exhibition closes
for this longitude, and observers farther
west enjoy the total observation.
ECLIPSE or The Sun.
| A partial eclipse OF the sun occurs on
the 18th, invisible IN the United States,
but visible in the Southern Pacific ocean.
| The greatest magnitude OF the eclipse j.
.7jl OF the sun, diameter.