Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-06-28
ssT1RE BLUE ETHEREAL Sky.
The Planets in July.

The Planets i'm July.
From the Providence Journal.
Venus is evening star until the nth. Though
she ceases to shine in the western sky after that
time, and even disappears from sight before and
after the advent of one of her great epochs
she is during the whole month the most inter.
esting member of the planetary group with
which the earth is indissolubly bound, at
least for millions Of years to come. On the 18th,
at O'Clock in the evening, she ia in inferior
conjunction with the sun. She then passes be-
tween us and the sun. with her dark side turned
towards the earth like the moon at new moon,
changing at the same time from the suns east
ern side, where for nearly 10 months she hasshOne
as evening star, to his western side. and
where, in reversed order, she will shine as
morning star for nearly ten months to come.
Our nearest planetary neighbOr moves very
rapidly in this portion of her orbit. and soon be-
comes visible as morning star i'm the eastern sky
She will be beautiful object at the end of the
month. rising soon after 3 o'clock. nearly two
hours before the sun. But she has met with a
change since we behed her in the glowing west
when her slender crescent was diminishing at
every temperance. For, as morning star. the
lovely crescent is all the time increasing in di-
mansions as the planet turns more Of her ilu-
mined surface towards her terrestrial neigh
Dor. 1t is hard to decide whether the fair star
Is more beautiful when. beaming in the twilight
sky, she slowly sinks below the western hills. or
when. anticipating the dawn. she fades away
into the light OF heaven at the coming of the
sun. Venus is brightest and largest of the
starry thrOng. and comparatively near the earth.
But it is difficult even for the best telescopes to
lind out what is going on in her broad domain
on account of her intense luster and the at
mOspnere of clouds In which she is closely yelled
Her varying phases and the somewhat uneven
boundary of her Termination, or inner bright
edge, are all that will probably be detected by
the ordinary observer. But trained observers
have never, since astronomy became science.
given up the hope of making discoveries con-
corning this fascinating planet.
Mercury is morning star until the 10Th and
then becomes evening star. On the 18th. at
midnight. he is in superior conjunction with the
sun. thus reversing the conditions just described
for Venus. For he passes to the suns eastern
side instead of his western, beyond the sun in
stead OF between him and the earth. and Is at
his greatest distance from the earth instead OF
the least. The movements of tine two plane is
clearly Illustrate the difference between superior
and inferior conjunction. az, indeed the words
themselves plainly indicate. In the former case
the planet is joined to the sun on his superior or
outer side. In the later case. on the inferior or
inner side. Although in reality Mercury and
Venus are as far apart as they can be. i'm our
view they appear near together and are in con-
X
Venus, four hours after inferior conjunction,
encounters Mercury, twenty hours before
superior conjunction. The planets meet and
pass on the celestial course, both morning stars
at the time, the former moving westward from
the sun. the latter moving eastward towards the
sun. Though the aspects of both planets are
the same swift-fOoted Mercury will complete
more than five synOdc periods, while the more
stately Venus completes one. Mercury is in
conjunction with Jupiter on the Esd, at 3 o'clock
fhn hnir,
cts are too near the sun to make the conjunc-
ton visible, even If the time were favorable.
Neptune is morning star throughout the
month. There is nothing noteworthy in his
course. excepting his increasing distance from
the sun and his approach to the earth. At the
end of the month he rises before midnight and
he would be conspicuous object in the morn
ing sky II we were near enough to behold him.
1t would also be easy to keep the run Of him,
for 1t takes him thirteen years to move through
a constellation OF the zodiac
Saturn is morning star. He is far enough
from the sun to be seen by early risers. and will
soon give promise Of the radiant object he will
become few months hence. He has perceptj-
bly, advanced in his eastward progress in his
orbit. and is leaving behind Aldebaran and the
Pieiades. his close companions of the last year.
Observers will find him almost directly south of
Capeila. rising an hour and a half before the sun
on the first of the month, and three hours before
the sun at the close of the month.
Jupiter Is evening star during the month but
will soon be too near the sun to be detected in
the glare OF twilight. He reignS alone. for We
nus, his great rival. is out of the way. He will,
however, enjoy the supremacy but short time
for he is rapidly approaching his greater rival
the sun. In whose OverpOwering beams his les
ser light will be eclipsed. Even the giant Jupi-
ter has to succumb to the mighty power of the
great central orb, and, as it were. be blotted
from the sky when he dares to encroach on the
solar domain. Jupiter fastening towards the
sun, is met on the way by Mercury the smallest
of his brother planets. Fastening from the sun.
They are in conjunction on the 23d, an event
already referred to.
Mars is evening star. He is near Uranus
during the whole month, setting about half
hour earlier on the LIST. and a quarter of an hour
later on the 31st. Meantime they meet and
pass each other, being in conjunction on the
18th, at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. when Mars
is. IL south OF Uranus. There are difficulties in
the way of observing the planetary conjunction
1t occurs in daylight, and if the conditions were
favorable it would require powerful telescope
TO pick up Uranus, now far away from the
earth. while Mars is approaching his most insig-
nificant aspect.
Uranus is evening star. Beside being in con-
junction with Mars he is very near Beta Viz
ginis. star of the third magnitude in the con-
stellation Virgo. The conjunction takes place
On the 3Oth at MONDAY, the planet being then
but minutes north of the star
Interesting observations on Uranus have re.
Gently been made by NJ. Perrotin and Mr. Lock
yer, at The Observatory In Nice. They found a
bright spot near the lower limb of the planet
hat further observation showed was near the
equator. 1t was very difficult object, and
much doubt was felt as to It's real existence.
But repeated observations confirmed the first
Impressions, and made them conclude that they
Jaw a luminous belt instead Of band. They
from their observations a rotation
period Of abou0ten hours. Thus these trained
observers actually saw this huge sphere rotat- |
NC on its axis, as they watched the progress of
he luminous spot over the disc, though they
we're nearly 1000, 0O0, 600 miles away.
THE MOON.
The July moon fulls on the Sth, at Ii minutes
litter o'clock in the morning. On the 18th.
wo days after the last quarter, she is near Nep-
une. and on the 10Th near Saturn. On the 2Ist.
he day before new moon, she il near Venus.
On the Esd, the One-day old moon is near JupIter
md Mercury. On the Goth, she is in conjunction
With Ura, (ps and Mars. thus passing each pianss