Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-10-30

Planetary, Lunar and MeteOric Display
for the Coming Month.
From he Providence Journal.

Tor the Coming Month.
From he Providence Journal
Neptune is morning star until the 10th,
when he changes his role TO that of evening
star. He wins the place Of honor on the
monthly record, though his ascendency is Of
short duration, for, on the 10th. at O'Clock in
the morning, he reaches the most interesting
epoch in his course, his opposition with the sun.
He then passes from the suns western side to
his eastern becomes evening star in technical
Classification. though in reality he has been
evening star for several months. He is at his
nearest point to the earth, and Is so situated
that a straight line. drawn from the sun to the
earth, would, If extended, reach Neptune. This
planet, when at his nearest possible point, that
i. in periheIion as well as opposition. is
most distant point possible, that is in aphelion
and conjunction, he is 2,S63, 1S3, 900 miles
away. These figures give little idea of the vast
realm of space to be traversed before the abid-
ing place of the most distant member OF the
soIarybrotherhood is reached, even when taking
Venus is evening star. Nothing In planetary
presentation Is more charming than her nightly
appearance in the western sky in the early
evening. Almost as soon as the sun sinks below
the horizon, she seems to spring into being,
reigning alone on moonless nights, long before
t~inking points of light. She grows daZzlingly
beautiful as the shadows darken, and as she
quickly follows the great iuminary behind the
hills, leaves behind but one regret, that the
period of her presence in the sky is so short.
There is much improvement in this respect in
November. In the beginning of the month, the
fairest of the stars delights the observer for two
hours after sunset. and on the last of the month
she fingers in the west for three hours after the
great 1uminary has disappeared. Venus is pass
ing now from superior conjunction to eastern
e1ongatiOn, com ng nearer TO the earth and
turning less and less OF her illumined disc to-
wards us. Her course has been southwark but
on the 10th she commences to move north
This viii lcngthen her stay above the horizon
ana bring her into better position for Observa-
ton.
Saturn is morning star, in astronomical CLASH
hcati"n. although on the list lie rises at o clock
in the evening. making his appearance in the
east about an hour after his fair rival, Venus
disappears in the west. He reigns as the sole
repre.entatiye OF the visible planetary brother
hood till midnight, when Mars bears him COM
pany, while about the time ne reaches the me-
ridlan Jupiter makes his appearance in the
east. saturn is in fine position for observation
during the whole month. either with the naked
eye or the telescope. He has just passed peri
helion, is approaching opposition, is near his
highest northern declinatiOn, and his rings are
open to their widest extent Observers are
wise who carefully study his present aspect, for
many years will then roll on before his present
serene splendor and clear light will gladden. our
eyes.
Jupiter is morning star He is now far enough
from the sun to make a superb appearance in
the small hours of the morning, rising about 8
O'Clock the list and coming up about 1
O'Clock on the last of the month. He proves his
claim to be the prince OF pla nets, he CLOVIS
on the dark background of the morning sky,
the leader of the celestial host. Unfortunately
for terrestrial observers, his course tends SOUTH
ward, almost touching southern declination ut
the end of the month. Nearly six years must
pass. while he pursues his course through the
six southern consultations of the zodiac before
he will again reach northern deelination.
Planets are never in their best condition for
observation when in southern declination. For
like the sun, their stay above the horizon is
shortened for northern observers. Jupiter may
be found be tween the bright stars Reguius and
Spica. almost directly i'll the east.
Mars is morning star. He is slowly increasing
in the eastern sky by his vicinity to well-known
stars. He shines with serene light of q red
dish TINT and may be easily distinguished from
the twinkling stars that surround nin.
Mercury is an evening star. On the 3Oth, at
; O'Clock in the evening, he reaches his greatest
of the sun. He may possibly be visible about
that time to the naked eye, but picking him
up will be feat difficult to accomplish, for he
sets an hour and u quarter alter the sun, and is
low IN the SOUTH He may be found on an ex-
ceptionally clear evening, three-quarters of an
hour hour after sunset, in the southwestern sky, a
little west of the inverted dipper in Sagittarius
The November moon fulls on the I'D at An.
39m. a. m. On the Sd, three days before her
with Jupiter. at An. 12m. a. M, being at
the time So south. The crescent and the
planet will make lovely picture on'the morn
ing sky.
November is not as fruitful in incidents as
many OF the preceding months of the now
rapidly Heetlng year: She presents, as promi-
III
when the planet third in size among the
brotherhood, draws nearest TO the earth Oh his
unseen path, and gives the telescopist a chance
TO IND out something new concerning the great
sphere that, in terrestrial view, looks like q
tiny, ball, delicateiy tinted with blue, but is
really equal in volume to nearly a hundred
planets like the earth, piled upon each other.
November also presents, on each clear even
ing, one of the loveIiest pictures that ever
giows on the celestial canvas, that of the peer
less Venus shining in the west the fair
evening star, deigning to show herself as soon
as the sun has disappeared, and growing more
bewitchingly beautiful as the shadows gather.
until her turn comes to descend below the
western hills. Saturn Is another gem in the
November sky. Jupiter shows his smiling face
in the small hours of the morning, and Mercury
may be seen in fitful phase as the month draws
November holds the exclusive right to one
unlailing source of interest, when, on the 18TH
and the day before and after, the earth plunges
Those who watch on the nights mentioned will
find proof of the passage in I few stray meteOrs
radlatins from the constellation Leo. and set
on fire by a conclusion with the earth's atlnos-
phere. These meteoric showers are caused by
the earth encountering q swarm of particles fol-
lowing Iempels comet in its orbit. The swarm
of meteOroids is not yet equally scattered, and
the earth meets the densest portion once in
thirty three and one-fourth years. a grand
display marks the passage. The heavens seem
TO be on IRE, and the grandeur of the scene is
Understandable. Chinese, Arabian and other
showers. Humboldt witnessed wonderful
shower in 1899. A great shower was seen in
1888, another occurred in 1S66-67, and one
is confidently expected in 1899. Leverrier
thus accounts for the presence OF the
meteor zone in the system. AS far back
as the year 123 of Our era, Uranus cap
tured meteoric comet and imprisoned 1t, by
his attractive power, within the solar domain.
IL has period Of thirty-three and One-tourth
years. The orbit crosses the earths orbit at q
point passed by our planet on the 18th of No
vember, and extends beyond the orbit of
Uranus The comet Is disintegrating and the
meteoroids are slowly extending over the
whole zone. When this occurs ages hence the
grand displays will cease and the falling stars
each year will Increase in numbers. AS moth
ing Is more uncertain than the behavior of
comets and meteors 1t Is well to be on the
watch, for the earth may encounter q more
populous portion OF the zone, and the shower
OF falling stars be more abundant than Is ex-
pected. The best time for observing the Leon
ids, as they are called, is about o'clock in the
morning. when the constellation Leo il nearly
halfway between the eastern horizon and the
zenith.
The Storm at Annapolis.
LIGHTNING FIRES ONE OF THE BUILDINGS OF
ST. JOHNS COLLEGE AND STA RTI ~ THE nj N