Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-12-29
NEw-YEAR STARS.
PLANETS FoR JANUARr.
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Providence Journal
yrxrs is evening star, and easily
wins the FIRST place on the January re-
cord. for during the month she puts on
her brightest aspect. On the iStn, ~ ~
~ o'clock, she reaches her point Oh
greatest brilliancy IS evening. star
There are two Of these periods OF great
est brilhancy---one occars thirty.s'A
DAYS before inferior conjunction when
Abe is evening star, IS IN the present
Ease. the other occurs thirty-slx days
.ner inferior conjunction, when she Is
morning star. On the first OF these oc-
,asions she is 40 degrees east oil the
sun. on the second she Is 10 degrees
xe.t Of the sun. She takes on the iorm'
when evening star. Of q waning crescent
and when morning star OF q waxing
crescent. In both cases about one
fourth of her disc is iuamined.
Venus, at superior conjunction, has her
whole bright face turned towards as
lint she is so far away that her diameter
Is only lO". AS she advances toSaruS
the earth, less and less OF her llla-
mined disc is turned towards us. But
Aey increasing size more than counter
balances the loss Of light, and she grows
more and more bright until she reaches
her period of greatest brilliancy. Al
,cr that event the loss OF light more
than counlerbalances the increasing
dimensions, and her light grows dim'
until At inferior conjunction, she IS lost
10 sight as she passes between US ana
the sun. her diameter being then about
a.. After inferior conjunction, as
morning star, she repeats the same pro-
cess in reversed order.
There is no need of calling attention
10 this fascinating planet during the
month. for no one can look OF the west
srn twilight sky without feeling the IN
fuence Of her gracious presence or
wi,host wishing to imprison here there
forever. This superb star Will repay
close watching in her present phase.
She casts a perceptible shadow IN the
evening, and is visible a. MONDAY to the
naked eye as an intense white point to
those who know her position IN regard
10 the sun. Under favorable atmo-
spheric conditions she is a charm
inr telescope object, taking on the
form of a beautiful crescent, and grow
inc larger, sharper, and thinner as she
apparently approaches the sun and
really approaches the earth. The fact
Of her approach to the sun is plainly
evident TO intelligent observers who
watch her appearance from night to
night. Her light will be lost IN the
evening sky thirty-six days after she
CLOVIS in her brightest cOlors, and On
DAYS will pass before she comes round
again to her present position. Venus
lacks but one element for making her
present conditions for observation as
favorable as possible. She is not IN
her highest northern declination, al
though she is turning her steps rapidly
northward.
The right ascension OF Venus on the
lst is oh. j3m., her declination is Is
degrees / south, her diameter is 81,
and she is in the constellation Capri
eornus.
Venus sets on the lst few minutes
after : O'Clock in the evening; on the
3lst she sets about quarter after :
O'Clock.
SATURN is evening star. lie WINS
the second place on the monthly record.
for he is the sole planet visible in the
early evening sky in the eastern portion
Of the heavens, and is almost bright
enough to dispute the starry supremacy
with his fairer rival Venus, who holds
her court in the west. He has this adj
vantage, that while she sinks below
the horizon about three hours after sun
set, he graces the sky the llvelong
night. shining serenely among the bril-
liant galaxy Of stars that sparkle IN the
winter heavens, one among them. but
not Of them. For while they pierce
the sky.depths with their own ia
herent light, his light is borrowed from
a sun far less in size than many OF the
bright points cleaning around him.
Saturn is still beautiful to behold, for
though perihelion and opposition have
passed, he has not yet reached his high
est northern declination. lie scarcely
changes his position during the month
in his slow retrograde course. On the
10Th Saturn occults New Geminorum, q
star Of the third magnitude. Unfortu.
nately, the phenomenon occurs at !
O'Clock in the morning, when Saturn Is
too near the western horizon for obser
walton, but star and planet will be neal
each other during the night. The oc
cultation OF large star by planet Il
rare occurrence, and observers arr
fortunate who are so situated as to be
hold the sight.
The right ascension Of Saturn on th'
LIST is Gh. l9m., his declinatlen Is - de
rrees go north, his diameter is l9.4
and he is in the constellation Gemini.
Saturn sets on the LIST about a quar-
ter before ! o'clock in the morning OF
the 3lst he sets about halt-past
O'Clock.
JUPITER is morning star. 1ho'
who watch the breaking Of the daw
will find Jupiter a superb object in tn
morning sky, brightly glimmering /
the rosy or golden light that herald
the SUMS approach, as be looks dow
from his high position near the zenitl
Jupiter and Uranus, who have Ion
been near each other, meet and pass @
the celestial road. The cOnjunctiC
takes place on the oath al 5 O'Clock
the morning, Jupiter at that time bei'
| degree 81 northwest Of Uranus.
Our brother planet is becoming MOI
fayorsbiy situated for observation as
approaches the earth. Astrouome
have already begun TO take advantal
Of the improved conditions. Mr.. De
ming. 4 specialist in Joyiau interpret
ton, describes a view Of the famo
red spot obtained on the morning Of &
25th OF October. The Spet was NO
plainly visible than il was on the {
Of July, Ais latest observation befo
the planets conjunction with the su
IL was, however, not so dark as d
equatorial belt, nor nearly so conspie
GUS as II was five or six years az