Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1884-05-01


Uranology for NAV.
During the clear evenings Of the past two |
weeks all the naked.eye planets have been !
simultaneously visible, strung along the sky |
in the following order Counting from the |
sunset point, upwsrd): Mercury, Saturn, |
Venus, Jupiter and Mars Mercury reached |
bis greatest eastern elongation on April 25th,
at which time he was particularly well |
placed for observation and became easily |
visible at from 20 to 80 minutes after sunset. |
Heisnow approaching the Sun again on his way |
to become morning star, and this together |
with the increasing moonlight will very soon |
take him out OF our view. Viewed in the
telescope Mercury is now seen to have passed
the haif-moon phase and to be growing
signify crescenhc, but he ID already getting
too low down IN the western sky for satisfac-
tory observation. Indeed astronomers have
never been able to learn much about Mer-
curry DIS keeping 30 CLOSE TO the sun being one
Oh the ohieI difhcuities In their way
his comparative smallness and bothersome
priBhlhess' aouea 10 the unrehapiity OF op-
sefVauons made through low atmospheric
strata COMBINE 10 the disadvantage OF the
astronomer IN his study OF this planet. The
most that Is known about Mercury Is that 1t
Is ABOUT o,ooo miles In diameter, that 1t re-
VoiVes on its axis In ABOUT "a hours, and that
some parts OF its surface seem to be covered
WIN nountaihs Twice as hlgh as any upont the
Ear'h'
oh may itth, mercury reaches
inferior conjunction with the sun and
changes from an evening to morning star.
sometimes al INFERIOR conjunction the planet
passes IN difect line between us and the
| SUM- making transit OF the solar disc.
These transits, though much more frequent
than trahslts OF Venus, are not very common;
the last occurred November 7th, 1881 the
heXtswiil come OH on May 9th, 1881.
| on the early morning OF the 24th Mercury
VIII De occuited by the Moon very interest
ing spectacle II visible, which unfortunately
Will not De the case
Saturn, the next planet in the evening
cham, Is following close after Mercury to con-
junction with the Sun, which he will reach
on June Srd. He Is therefore taking leave of
the evening SKY not to reappear in it again
until the fall months He will be in con-
Junction with the new Moon on the morning
oil the 10th, put the approach Will be invisible.
An examination OF the apparent paths of
Mercury and Saturn shows that the former is
steadily gaining upon the latter and that on
June 25th the two planets will pass within
one minute of each other, distance 80 small
: that, to the naked eye, they would seem to
touch. 1t Is possible that this conjunction
may be visible in the telescope.
Venus, already very brilliant will grow il
, splendor during the May evenings and be a
her brightest on June Sd. Au observing ey,
will find her now Immediately after sunset
. it is probable that by the end Of the montl
i she may be seen in broad daylight. OF al
T the planets, Venus is the only one that favor
9 the ordinary observer with her presenc
II while the Sun is still shining though fey
n keen sighted ga2ers have seen Jupiter like
wise in the daytime. This refers to obserya
tions with the naked eve with the telescop
daylight observations can frequently b
made of Saturn, Mars and Mercury likewis
and OF many of the fixed stars.
Venus reaches her greatest eastern elongs
~ ton on Friday being then over ASP, or thre
IN hours i'll time, behind the Sun. After this
" date she will again appear to approach I'll
= sun, remaining a continually decreasir
:, period in the evening skv until she a,
prosches inferior conjunction (whiC
happens July 11th) and becomes 10
sS in his light, to reappear in Augu
b. as morning star. The comiI