Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-07-04


| Isl IA 3 hours 81 minutes, his declina'
| / IN is % degrees 81 minutes north
his diameter Is 1915. and he Is in tn
constellation Gemini. !.
Saturn rises on the LIST about halt
| past 3 o'clock in the morning. On tn,
Slst he rises . few minutes before
| o'clock.
MARS Is morning star. There are nj
changes during the month in the classi
| fication Of the planets as morning and
| evening stars. Venus, Mercury, Jupi
ter, and Uranus are on the east eide O
the sun, and shine as evening, stars
Saturn. Mars, and Neptune are on the
west side Of the sun, and play theil
parts as morning stars.
The right ascension Of Mars on the
ist is 4 hours 80 minutes, his declina-
ton is 81 degrees As minutes, his di.
ameter is a. seconds, and he is in the
constellation Taurus.
Mars rises on the LIST about quarter
after 2 o'clock In the morning: on the
sIst he rises at half-past 10 o'clock.
THE MOON.
The July moon fulls on the Goth at
% minutes after o'clock in the eve
ming. The moon in her last quarter
is in conjunction with Neptune on the
Sth at 6 hours 50 minutes A. NJ, being
at the time 2 degrees 80 minutes south.
She is at her nearest point to Mars on
the 9th at 3 hours A minutes p. NJ,
being 5 degrees ] minute south. She
pays her respects to Saturn on the 10th
at S hours As minutes p. NJ, being 4
degrees minutes south. The new
moon Of the 18th is in conjunction with
Mercury on the 18th, at 6 hours 81
minutes A. NJ, being 5 degrees 80 min
utes south. She draws near to Venus
also on the 18th at 10 hours 81 minutes
A. NJ, being degrees % minutes south.
She is in conjunction with Jupiter on
the 18th at 2 hours 2 minutes A. NJ,
being degrees minutes south, and
swings her ponderous sphere at the near
est point to Uranus on the 10th at 6
hours 81 minutes P. NJ, being "a min.
utes south, the only close conjuncture
of the month.
OCCUPATION OF ALDEBARAN.
On the 9Th the moon occults Aide
baran, or Alpha Tauri, for the seventh
time this year. The phenomenon will
be visible in this vicinity. The i'm
mersion Of the star takes place at 4h.
25m. A. NJ, Washington mean time.
The EMERSON takes place at 5h. lSm.,
the occultation continuing fifty-three
minutes. A telescope will be required
for the observation, as the presence Of
the sun will hide the actors in the scene
from the naked eye.
CIRCULATION OF URANUS.
The moon occults the planet Uranus
on the 18th for the sixth time during
the present year, the phenomenon being
visible to observers, fayorably situated
according to time and place, between
the limiting parallels Of 2 degrees north
and IS degrees south latitude. We
mean by this that observers must be at
the time on the dark side of the earth,
and that their position must correspond
to the position of the moon as seen
from the centre Of the earth.
July is not unfruitful in planetary
events. Jupiter and Venus, the most
brilliant members of the SUMS family,
are both visible in the west, Jupiter
travelling westward and Venus east
ward. They are approaching each other
so rapidly that though at the beginning
Of the month Jupiter sets two hours
later than Venus, at its close there are
but fifteen minutes difference in
the time of their setting. Mer-
curry, though invisible, follows
swiftly on the track of his more
distinguished fellow-planets, passing
Venus, and nearly overtaking Jupiter.
Regulus comes in for his share of at
tention, both Mercury and Venus pass
ing near his domain. Saturn treats us
almost to an occultation. making an APP
pulse to Eta Geminorum. Our fair
neighbor, the moon, besides following
her usual round, kindly occults Aide
baran for our observation, and hides
Uranus from sight for the pleasure Of
observers farther south.
July is one of the finest months of
the year for the study of the stars. The
summer nights are thousand-fold more
beautiful TO those who find companion
ship in the myriad twinklers that stud
the canopy of heaven and learn to know
by name not only the planets, but the
brilliant stars among which these wan
derers tread their shining course with
tireless feet. Among the promi-
nent stars that glisten in the
July sky are the three north
ern brilliants, as they are called /;
Arcturus, radiant with rosy light, shi-
ming in the northwest, below the starry
semi-circle that marks the Northern
Crown the superb Vega, belonging to
the highest order of stars, approaching
the zenith; and the sparkling Capella,
rising in the northeast late in the eve
ming. The Northern Cross rests on the
Milky Way in the neighborhood of Vega.
Altar beams brightly below it, with the
stars Of lesser magnitude on either side
that form its body-guard; the lone
Spica shines in the southwest the con-
stellation Scorpio, with its leading bril-
liant. the red Antaris, is a charming
object in the southeast; and the con-
stellation Sagittarius, with its bent bow
resting on the Milky Way, CLEANS in
misty light farther to the east and
nearer to the horizon. Any observer
who has access to star-map can trace
the stars here mentioned without adj
ditional help. Astronomical know
ledge, as well as all other kinds of
knowledge that is gained by personal
effort, is the most valuable and perma-
nent. These stars are to be looked for
about 9 o'clock during the first part OF
the month. AS the stars seem to rise
four minutes earlier every night on &C.
count Of the earth's motion in her orbit,
the same starry picture will be visible
at 7 O'Clock on the last part of the
month.
a wild Man Captures am Indiana
Town.
T. a ~