Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-05-31
ASTRONOMICAL POINTS
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Providence Joarnal.l
SATURN Is evening star until the
lsth (of June), yhen, like Neptune, he
deserts the western TO hold his court in
the eastern sky. On the 18th, at Q
o'clock in the afternoon, Saturn is in
conjunction with the sun, passing with
his rings and moons behind the sun,
and reappesring on his western side as
morning star. lie is hidden for
time in the suns binding rays, but
keeps steadily on his westward course
until. when midsummer reigns, he be-
comes a beautiful object in the morn
ing sky---one OF the fairest gems
that sparkle in the armament in
the small hours Of the night
and continues TO shine until the glowing
dawn puts out his feebler light. lie
wins the place Of honor for the month
Of June-not so much for his arrival at
the DISTINGUISHING epoch Of his course
as for the fact that between his con-
junction and following opposition he
will pass perihelion and be 100, 000, 900
miles nearer the sun than when in
aphclion, an event that, occurring but
once in about thirty years, brings him
perceptibly nearer to the earth, and
makes him more effective target for
terrestrial telescopes.
Saturn is, however, this month. only
the planet OF promise. Safely hidden
from mortal eye, he travels on his I'M
seen path, coming towards us and
growing slightly brighter, until his
time comes TO take on visible pres
ence. Saturn, before conjunction, pays
his respects to Venus, the former ira
yelling towards the sun, the latter re-
ceding from the sun on the star-strewn
pathway. The planets are in con-
junction on the 9TH, at 5 O'Clock
in the afternoon, Saturn being l
degree 80 minutes south when
passing west Of Venus. Saturn, after
conjunction, meets Mercury, the one re-
cedipg from and the other approaching
the sun. The planets are IN conjunc-
ton on the 23d, at IL o'clock in the
evening, Saturn being degree Al min
utes south when they meet and change
places on the celestial road. The three
planets have their meetings and part
ipgs all to themselves, for when they
occur the celestial actors are safely en-
shrouded in the halo Of light that sur
rounds the sun, and are unseen by ter
restrial observers.
The right ascension Of Saturn on the
lst is 8 hours 40 minutes: his decli-
nation is % degrees 81 minutes north
his diameter is 1876 seconds, and he is
in the constellation Taurus.
Saturn sets on the LIST, soon after
o'clock in the evening on the Both, he
rises about half-past o'clock in the
morning.
JUPITER is evening star during the
month. lie is superb object in the
western evening sky of June, the only
visible planet, and the brightest of the
1900 stars visible on clear mOonless
nights. His course will be. interesting
to watch, for he is now moving eatward
among the stars, or in direct motion,
after having been for long time sta
tionary, or moving westward in retro
gade motion, as it is technically called.
Proof Of this is readily seen by OBJ
serving the slowly increasing distance
between him and Regulus, the bright
star, which he has now deserted for
good.
AT meeting Of the Royal Astro-
nomical Society in London the Earl Of
Crawford made a very interesting state
ment in regard to one Of the satellites
Of Jupiter. DR.. Copeland, he said, had
recently observed transit Of Jupiter's
fourth satellite-that is, the passage of
the satellite over the planets disc.
While closely watching the phenome-
non he saw the satellite oyertake
and occult its own shadow on
the body Of the planet. This
proved that at the time the sun,
the earth, the satellite, and the part Of
Jupiter's disc occulted, were in one
straight line. Therefore, to an observer
on Jupiter, the earth, at the time of
observation, must have been making a
transit over the suns disc. But we
fear the grand phenomenon passed UNI
seen by any observers on the Jovian
disc, for there is hardly a possibility
that life even in its lowest forms has
yet been developed in the huge mass
where primeval chaos reigns.
The right ascension Of Jupiter on
the lst is 10 minutes 3 hours, his de-
clination is l3 degrees s minutes, his
diameter is "a seconds, and he is in the
constellation Leo.
Jupiter sets on the LIST few minutes
before midnight; on the Both he sets
soon after 10 o'clock in the evening.
URANUS is evening star. On the
10Th, at 10 o'clock in the evening, he
is in quadrature with the sun on the
eastern side. He then, as his three
giant brothers have done before him,
reaches the halfway house between
opposition and conjunction, and thence
forth must be looked for in the western
ky as he makes his way towards the
sun. He is nearly stationary during
the month, and presents no other
aspects worthy Of record.
The right ascension Of Uranus on the
LIST is III hours sc minutes. his decli-
nation is / degree 0 minutes north, his
diameter is 3.//5, and he is in the con-
steilation Virgo. :,
Uranus sets on the LIST about | o'clock
in the morning on the S0th he sets a
few minutes after / O'Clock in the eve
ming.
MERCURY is morning star till the
eth, and then evening star. On the
9th, at 10 O'Clock in the morning, he
is in superior conjunction with the SUM-
Since his previous superior conjunction
no has made one Of his swift circuits
round the sun, which takes but IS o.
our days, and whirled on in his cours,
until he has overtaken the slower
meying earth, thus completing his syno
die revolution Of lis days, an(
coming into line with the SUI
and the earth. At this point Of hi
ccurea he 10 hevond the SIM hut n,