Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-02-28

way among thc stars. The awe-ssruck
observer would seek, like the chcrubim
Of Holy Writ. TO veil his eyes in the
presence Of such SURPRISING grandeur
and sublimity.
The right ascension Of Saturn on the
lst il 5h. 6m.; his declination is q de-
prees 3s> north. his diameter is ITO,
and he is in the constellation Taurus.
saturn sets on the LIST at half past ]
o'clock in the morning; on the 3lst he
sets soon after halfpast ii o'clock IN
the evening.
JUrrTER Is evening star. His bril-
liancy does not perceptibly lessen and
he remains lord Of the ascendant during
nearly the whole night, setting only a
short time before the day breaks. He
is retrograding during the month and
travelling north. On the 18th he is
in conjunction with Regulus, being
40, north. lie keeps near the
bright star during the month, and
by watching the star, fixed in its posi-
ton, the wandering Of the planet will
be plainly perceptiblc. Jupiter is on
the east Of Regulus till the 18th, then
on the west, and is all the time moving
north. The regal planet has been
superb during February and will be
equally so during March. We can find
no new words to describe the grandeur
of his starry splendor to the naked eye,
and the magnificent appearance he pre-
sents in the telescope.
The right ascension Of Jupiter on
the lst is 10h. Sm. /; his declination is
IL degrees so north, his diameter is
AZ" 6, and he is in the constellation
Leo.
jupiter sets on the LIST at o'clock
in the morning on the 3lst he sets
about 4 O'Clock.
VENUS is morning star. She antici-
pates the sun only half an hour in rising,
showing how close she is to him, aud
how soon she will be entirely lost IN his
rays. She will be counted out for
months to come as planet for obser-
walton. But she gives evidence of ac-
tivity by paying her respect to Mars,
the newcomer among the morning stars.
The two planets are in conjunction on
the 9th at 10 o'clock in the evening,
Venus being &c degrees south. The
conjunction will be visible for a double
reason.
The planets are below the horizon at
the time. and too near the sun to be
seen if the time were favorable.
The right ascension Of Venus on the
1st is oh. 55m. her declination is ID
degrees So south, her diameter is
1875, and she may be found either in
Aquarius or Pisces.
Venus rises on the lst quarter be-
fore 6 o'clock in the morning; on the
3lst she rises quarter after 5 O'Clock.
MARS is morning star and still close
to the sun. rising few minutes before
him. Besides his conjunction with
Venus, already referred to, he is in con-
junction with Mercury on the 9TH, at 9
O'Clock in the morning, being l degree
3 north. 1t will be readily seen that
the three planets, Venus, Mercury, and
Mars, are very near each other and
very near the sun in the month Of
March.
The right ascension Of Mars on the
lst is ooh. 37m.; his declination is 9
degrees So south, his diameter is
gre, and he is either in Aquarius or
Pisces.
Mars rises on the LIST about quarter
after O'Clock in the morning; on the
3lst he rises soon after o'clock.
MERCURY is morning star till the
18th, when he changes his role. On
the 18th. at O'Clock in the afternoon,
he is in superior conjunction with the
sun, passing TO the suns eastern side
and joining the ranks of the evening
stars. At the close Of the month Nep-
tune, Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, and Mer-
curry are evening stars, Venus and Mars
are morning stars.
The right ascension of Mercury on the
LIST is ooh. 22m. his declination is II
degrees 29m. south, his diameter is
~ s. and he may be found either in
Aquarius or Pisces.
Mercury rises on the LIST soon after 6
o'clock in the morning; on the 3lst ne
sets at half-past Z O'Clock in the eve
ming.
NEPTUNE is evening star during the
month.
The right ascension Of Neptune on
the LIST is 3h. Ism. his defamation is
l6 degrees lS/ north, his diameter is
2//.5, and he is in the constellation
Taurus.
Neptune sets on the LIST about half
past | o'clock in the evening on the
3lst he sets about half-past Q O'Clock.
THE MOON.
The March moon fulls on the Both
at thirty minutes after IL o'clock in the
morning. She is the queen of the full
moons for the year, for as she is the
first full moon after the vernal equinox
she determines when Easter Sunday
shall fall, and regulates from this initial
point the movable fasts and feastS
Of the church. Our satellite therefore
exerts indirectly great influence on
human affairs.
The moon is in conjunction with IRA
nus on the I'd, with Venus on the 18th,
and with Mars on the 10th. The new
moon of the 10th is in conjunction with
Mercury on the day Of her change, with
Neptune on the Goth, with Saturn on
the 23d, with Jupiter on the 9th, and
closes the list with second conjunc-
ton with Uranus on the Goth.
ANNULAR ECLIPSE OF THE Sun.
An annular eclipse Of the sun will
take place on the 10th that will be visi-
BILE as a partial eclipse throughout
North America and adjacent portions
of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
The path of the annular eclipse COM
mences in the Pacific ocean, crosses
California, Idaho, Montana, Manitoba,
iIudson's bay, Greenland, and ends
north of Iceland. Observers on this
path will behold a beautiful phe-
nomenon. The face Of the sun will
be eclipsed, with the exception Of an
I ~ - ~ "A.