Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-11-29
DECENBER,S SKIES.
The Stellar Display for the Closing
Year.

|
From the Providence Journal
Saturn is morning star till the 18th. when he
takes on new role according TO astronomical
classification Whatever may be the position of
a superior planet, he is classed as morning star
from conjunction to opposition. and As evening
star from opposition to conjunction. Though
Saturn has been prominent object in the even
ing sky for the last two months, he has for this
reason been numbered among the morning
stars The great epoch in his course that trans
| fers him from one side of the sun to the other
occurs during the month"; and as this is the
most interesting period in his circuit round the
sun to jewellers on the earth, our rng-girded
neigh6or easily wins the place of honor on the
December planetary annals. The much-desired
epoch occurs on the 18th, at o'clock in the
morning. When the sun sinks below the
| western horizon. this beaming planet shows his
radiant face above the eastern horizon and
shines during the entire night. descending in
| the west as the great luminary appears in the
! east. Saturn may be easily recognized anon ?
| his starry neighbors, being nearly east of the
| Pleiades, ana about half way between Capelia
on the north and Betilguese on the Soutn lie
| shines with serene light entirely different
from that OF the twinkling stars. lie rises on
the LIST at a quarter after O'Clock in the even
| ing, and is the only visible planet in the heay-
ems until Jupiter appears upon the scene
| The telescope Saturn Is now the perSOnifcat.On
OF grandeur and Sublimity. Even in a small in
strument the picture is one of surprising beauty
Il have seen the planet single and now see it
double" was GallIeo's wondering exclamation
as he turned his imperfect instrument 10 the
heavens in the dawn OF the astronomical day
| Forty years passed before the strange anpen-
Gages, sometimes visible and sometimes iRvisi-
BILE, were proved to be the rings OF saturn
| With our finer instruments and the food Of
| knowledge poured forth from observation and
| ba,-o fN+ l. -I,,
tronomers for the first fruits OF this enrolling
science, and for devotion 10 the cause tha0
cost them otloGuy, imprisonment and even
| martyrdom. very powerful glass is required
| to bring out both the magnificent and the DELI
cate aspects OF the most charming telescope Oh
ject in the heavens, as We'll a. the briiancv OF
coloring, which is q grand feature in the Satur-
MAN system.
Uranus is morning star. His course during
the month is marked with an event and for
this reason he wills the second place
on the planetary record. ON the
Gath, at O'Clock in the afternoon he is in
quadrature with the sun. on his western side
half his course from conjunction to opposition
being then completed.
Mercury is evening star. He reaches his great
est eastern elongatiOn on the 18th at : O'Clock in
the evening, and is thea 20 degrees - minutes
| east OF the sun. He may be seen at that time
| with the naked eye, if the atmosphere be clear
and the sky cloudless His great southern de-
ciination will make him a ieult object to
| pick up. Observers inclined 10 try must look
tor him on the 18th. ana a few days before
and after, about one degree south of the sun
set point. in the constellation Sagittarius a
| short distance northeast of the bowl OF the
| inverted jpper.
Mars is evening star, and as well as Saturn.
Uranus and Mercury contributes TO the Incidents
of the uionth. His path lies in close proximity
| to that OF Mercury during the whole month 80
that the two planets are twice in conjunction.
| The first conjunction occurs On the 4th, at Il
| O'Clock in the evening when Mercury il l de-
gree 26 minutes south of Mars. The second
conjunction occurs on the 29th at midnight
when Mercury is degrees p minutes north of
Mars. The events are noteworthy simply as in
| teresting planetary aspects for both planets are
too near the sun to be visible.
Jupiter is morning star throughout the
| month, growing in interest as he draws nearer
to the earth. He rises now an hour before mid
| night, and. when the month closes he will make
| his appearance above the eastern horizon ar .
o'clock in the evening. He is still in the neigh
| borhood OF Regulus a few degrees east. The
| brilliant planet and the first magnitude star at
ford fine opportunity tor studying the con-
\ trast between planet and star. Jupiter is
superb. and is increasing in size and brilliancy
| throughout December. After he appears upon
| the scene he holds the scepter of sovereignty
| with power that the brightest star OF the
| myriad host may not dispute. Even Saturn
beaming mildly from the heights above him,
l
| humility in the presence OF his more powerful
| brother. Jupiter is almost alone ia hi present
| position. He has left behind him the grand
galaxy OF stars among which. for the two pre-
| vious years he made his shining way and Regu-
| lus is his sole bright companion.
Venus is morning star. She is still a charm
! ing object in the. eastern sky for two hours
| before sunrise. and IS brilliant enough to hold
her place In the sky till it s nearly time for the
sun TO appear. Though her luster is sensiblv
diminishing. and she is perhaps little less
brilliant than Jupiter, the two planets ere beau
tiful TO behold, as they tread the celestial road
remaining visible after all the stars have disap-
peared in the increasing morning light The
November dawns were made lovely by the pres
ence OF the two bright orbs. The December
dawns will be equally lovely from their con-
tinued presence and observers will not need to
rise very early to be present at the exhibition.
Neptune is evening star after the Eth The
evening stars are IN the majority, numbering on
the list Mars, Mercury, Neptune and Saturn.
THE MOON
The December moon fulls on the I'd at two
o'clock in the evening. The moon is at her
nearest point TO Saturn on the Sd. and to Jup-
ter on the sth. She is in conjunction with
Venus on the morning Of the 14th, at 81 min
utes after four o'clock, passing degree l5 min
utes north. The morning stars and the roam
ing moon will form lovely celestial picture,
especially soon after the appearance Of the two
actors in the scene. The moon pays her re-
spects to Mars on the 18th, the day after her
change, and to Mercury on the 18th. On the
2Sth she is in conjunction with Neptune, and
she passes Saturn for the second time in Deem
Der on the 30th.
Our satellite hides no large star from the view
OF observers in this belt of the earth's terri
tory. But observers farther north, between the
limiting parallels Of 80 degrees and 81 degrees
will be privileged to behold. on the 29th. the
occultation by the moon Of Alpha Tauri, OF the
brilliant first magnitude star Aldebaran. which
Is the next best thing to the occultation of a
planet.
Utilizing Niagara.