Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-08-30
SWEEPING THE HEAVENS.
THE PLANETS IN SEPTEMBER.
Notes for students OF Astronomy-The Com
position or saturn's Rings-Severai rheo-
Providence journal.

VENUS II t''"~
of honor Is due 10 surprising beauty Of
appearance, Venus easily WINS the proud
position; for thus far she shows but
faint signs OF the decrease IN size and
hrilhancy 10 which she must a. inevitably
yield as the less-favored members OF the
solar family. She continues TO travel
westward. lengthening out the invisible
chain that binds her to the sun, until the
2lst, when she can go no farther. On
that day. at O'Clock in the morning. she
reahceS her greatest western elongation,
and j. then 4Go g. west OF the sun. Here
she changes her course. approaching the
sun with slower step than she receded
from him. Although she will be morn
ing star during the rest OF the year, her
lustre will gradually grow dim as she
draws near the sun, until Il Is entirely OBJ
scured in his bright beams. We cannot
bclp mourning that the brilliant planet
will lose her prestige. even for a time,
especially after the superb aspect she took
on during the month OF August. when she
seemed TO illuminate the eastern heavens
like young moon as she hung tremulous
on the golden waves OF light that pro-
claimed the coming OF the sun.
The right ascension OF Venus on the lst
is III. 4Jm., her decination Is ITO II north,
and her diameter is -" 4. Venus rises
on the lst about o'clock in the morning /;
"a the Goth She rises about quarter after
2 2O'clock.
JUPITER is morning star. His near
ncighborhood to Venus at the close OF the
month entities him to place next to her
on the planetary record. Though late
eomer among the morning stars. he Il far
enough from the sun TO he easily visible,
rising now an hour and haf before
his great prototype, and two hours after
Venus, who looms above the eastern
horizon at . O'Clock. The king aud queen
OF the stars will rapidly approach each
other on the celestial road during the
month. ON the 10Th they are only one
hour apart. and at the close Of the month
they are only separated by the short
space OF fifteen minutes. Planetary As.
tronomy presents few more interesting
scenes that the one that pictures Jupiter
aud Venus. the leaders OF the starry host.
as they approach conjunction. The Sep
tember morning sky VIII be respondent
with this exhibition. The falrcst gem Of
the suns family OF worlds raises her beam
ing face above the eastern hills shining
with dazzling brilliancy on the dark back
ground of the sky. For time she reigns
alone. ard then the princely Jupiter appears
to dispute her sway, the interval between
the rivals decreasing with each succeeding
appearance. The exhibition takes place on
the eastern sky. commencing about O'Clock
in the morning, and continuing TILL the
stars pale in the glow OF the coming day.
The right ascension Of Jupiter on the lst
is Oh. 3Im.. his declinatiOn Is iJo l0 north,
and his diameter Is 30."
Jupiter rises on the 1st about / O'Clock in
the morning; on the Both he rises at half
past O'Clock.
SATURN Is morning star, and Outranks the
ether planets in the important materials he
affords for study. Not only j. he beaut-
iul object in the sky during almost the
entire night. but he is also approach
ing the earth under favorable cou-
ditions seldom surpassed in his long ca
reer. On the 10th. at 10 o'clock in the
morning. he is in quidrature with the sun
on bis western side. lie is then 900 dis
tant from the sun, at what may he called
the halfway house between conjunction
and opposition, and is in fine position
for observation both with the naked eve
and the telescope. He is also conveniently
situated for this purpose, rising now at
haf-past II o'clock I'm the evening, and
at the end OF the month making hi.
appearance at haf-past . o'clock. He
reigns alone for awhile, but his short
lived supremacy soon ends, Venus
appearing upon the scene and outshimng
her giant brother as we'll rs all the lesser
lights.
A peculiar interest is felt in the approach
OF the ring-girdled planet to the earth nj
the present time; for intricate questions
are to be studied connected with his
complicated system. We say "studied,'
for Saturn must roll round in his vas,
circuit many times before these questions
will find satisfactory answers. The mag
nifcent member Of the planetary bro
therhood is drawing near the terres-
trial domain under conditions that viii
rot lee exactly repeated until the present
generation OF astronomers has given place
TO the one that will succeed; for though
astronomers as class are distinguished
for longevity. an average Of twenty-five
years spans the length Of their highest
power Of observation, while nearly thirty
years must pass before saturn presents the
same advantageous position he now hold,
During this year and the next the finest
telescope views OF saturn and his rings
may he obtained in northern latitudeS. For,
during this time, he passes his periheliou,
reaches his greatest northern decIlnatiOn,
and his rings are open 20 their widest eX-
tent. these ey ents occurring before the year
lSS5 closes.
The composition OF Saturn'S ring Is a
problem OF profound interest to men Of SET
encp. When the ring VIZ, first discovered,
astronomers saw nothing remarkable IN the
fact that one OF the planets was surrounded
Ly a ring and accompanied by il while ma
king its revolution round the sun, for the
starry vault was fullOf mysteries equally IN
hut as a knowledge OF as
tronOmy and the principles Of grlyitltion ad-
yanced il was found that il such body
were solid Il could not be supported, but
would be preclpitated upon the planet.
There are those who believe even now
that the rings are gradually approaching
the planet. According 10 the Russian
astronomer Struyi's computations. at the
present Iate Of approach the fatal plunge
will take place about the year 2lJ0. The
second theory advanced was that the Rugs
were iluid. This was proved 10 be equally
The next and latest important
step was great advance upon the pre-
cediug ones, for the distinguished astrono.
mcr TO whom the theory is due proved that
there were unanswerable objections against
both the solid and the tuid ring, and sug-
gested or revived a third theory.
This was that the ring is formed OF
myriads Of satellites too small TO be sepa.
rated in the most powerful telescopes. and
too close together to allow the intervals that
divide them TO be visible. The rings look
solid ana the surface umbroken because the
satellites are two small and too numei Ous
10 be seen singly. They resemble the little
drops OF moisture OF which cloud and fog
are made up. that appear like solid masses
Is we look upon them.
The rings, as is well known, consist OF
two parts or rings separated by an opening.
while the inner ring Is joined 4. its Inner
TO third or dusky ring,
considered as partially transparent.
There is also an indistinct line in the
outer ring that looks like an opening. A
broad field here opens to Investigators.
Observers will carefully study the golden
,irclet IN order TO find IL the comparative
darkness OF some portions Of the ring is
not caused by the sky showing through
openings where the satellites are more
'parselv congregated instead Of heing
breaks in the rings, and whether the dusky
ring is not partially transparent. No ef-
'ort will be spared. no human aid will be
unused, no favorable night will be lost in
he attempt TO discover the weighty secrets
lur brilliant brother has hitherto
Kept hidden frcm mortal vision. II a few
Extra satellites chance to be picked up
while his face and rings are being scanned,
fame will rebound to the fortu-
nate discoverers. This year. then. and the
one. are to be specially devoted
o Saturnisn investigation and study OF