Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-09-26
SWEEPING THE SKIES.
rHx PLANTS FOR OCTOBER.
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SATURN is morning star. lie easily
wins the first place on the October
records, for great event occurs IN ms
history Is he makes his long journey
round the sun. He reaches perihelion.
or his nearest point TO the sun. THIS
long expected epoch takes place on the
2lst, at 7 o'clock in the morning. AS
. Ssturnian perihelion is reached but
once in nearly thirty years, the ex.
ersise Of little imagination will
give the event . rank in the solar
family something like the celebra-
t,on Of a silver wedding in terres-
uiai family. The sun and the men,
Der Of his family who is second in size,
and first in the surprising beauty Of his
system. make their nearest approach to
each other. Itistwenty-ninc and halt
years since the occurrence Of similar
event. and during that time Saturn has
travelled more than 5000, 000,O 900
miles. and now looks the sun in the face
from . standpoint 100000 miles
nearer to the central orb than when, fif-
teen years ago, he passed sphelion, or
his most distant point from the sun.
Beings endowed with finite powers
can form little idea of distances when
irving to take in the space that inter-
ytpes between our planet and one that
winds his way 10 an orbit Of vast cir
cumference like that of Saturn. For
even the difference between his least
and greatest distance from the sun is
greater than the whole distance that in
tervenes between the earth and the
mighty orb from whom all the planets
derive their life and light.
The reason Of the varying distance OF
the planets from the sun is easily un-
derstood. Each planet moves in an
slliptical orbit, the sun being in one OF
the foci of the ellipse. There must con-
sequently be . point in each planets
orbit when the planet is nearest to the
sun or in perihelion, and also another
point when the planet is farthest from
the sun or in aphelion. Saturn illus
trstes the former conditions and Venus
the latter during the month. The clip
ITCHY of the orbit, or the eccentricity,
as it is called, varies greatly in the diff
ferent planets. Mercury has the great
est, Mars comes next, and Saturn takes
the third place, while Venus has the
least. her orbit being nearly circular.
The perihelion Of Saturn is an i'm
portant astronomical event, and has
been anticipated for years with eager
interest. But why should the perihe-
lion Of Saturn be of so much conse-
quence to terrestrial observers is a
question that naturally arises. 1t is
because when Saturn is nearest the sun
he is, under certain conditions, nearest
to the earth, and far more favorably
situated for observation, the approach
being easily perceptible in his in
creased size and greater brilliancy.
There are three conditions that,
when united, give the best pos
sible views Of Saturn. He must
be in perihelion, his rings must
be open to their widest extent, and he
must be in opposition, or in line with
the earth and sun, with the earth in the
middle. These three conditions are
nearly united in the present position of
our magnificent brother in regard to the
earth. lie is in perihelion, his rings
are open to their widest extent, and he
is within two months of opposition.
Besides these favoring circumstances,
he is also in his highest northern decli-
nation, thus forming a combination Of
suspicious conditions that are desirable
in the highest degree.
Nearly whole generation will pass
away before Saturn will be seen again
in the favorable position he now occu-
pies. Instead Of dull. murky, and
ill-omened star, be now shines with
soft and serene light that gives him a
prominence among the surrounding
stars, and brings out the best aspect of
the planet that ranks second in the solar
scheme. His proximity increases his
size. and his wide open rings give him
an elliptical form to eyes blessed with
exceptional visual power. 1t is field
day with astronomers. who will untir-
ingly improve the rare occasion in
searching for new satellites, in seeking
to find out what the rings are made Of,
and in tracing the shadowy belts on the
planets disc.
Saturn will need no guide to point
out his position in the heavens. He
rises on the LIST about 10 o'clock in
the evening in the northeast, and can
not fail to be recognized by any OBJ
server who commands Q view Of the
eastern horizon. He forms an elonga-
ted triangle with two first magnitude
stars, Capslla on the north and Betel-
guese on the south. He will rise
about four minutes earlier every night,
until at the end Of the month his beam
ing face will be seen soon after s o'clock.
Saturn is in quadrature with the sun
on the LIST at O'Clock in the morning.
He is then 90 degrees west Of the sun,
just half way between conjunction and
opposition, reaching the meridian about
sunrise. He has been travelling east
or in direct motion for several months,
but is stationary about the time Of pc
rihelion. Though rising early in the
evening, he is still classed with the
morning stars, and will be rs long as
he remains on the western side of the
sun,
The right ascension Of Saturn on the
LIST is Oh. Ism. his declination i.
% degrees lS> north, his diameter j:
ia, and he is in the constellation
Gemini.
, Saturn rises on the LIST about q quar-.
ter after 10 o'clock in the evening or
the Slst he rises quarter after {
o'clock.
VENUS ID evening star. As we elias
sify the planets IN the monthly presenta
ton according TO the interesting feature
they present for observation, Venu
clearly wins the second place on tn
October list. She grows more beauti
full oil the time as she recedes from tn
sun, her increasing distance from tn
great luminary being now plainly per
ceptible in the longer time she remain