Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-06-03
THE STARRY SKIES OF JUNE.
The Planetary Display for the Month.

The Planetary Display for the Month.
From the Providence Journal
saturn is evening star until the 18th, when,
IKE Neptune, he deserts the western TO hold
MS court in the eastern sky. On the 18th, at q
O'Clock In the afternoon, Saturn is in conjunc-
ton with the sun. passing with his rings and
moons behind the sun. and reappearing on his
western side rs morning star. He is hidden for
time in tie suns binding rays, but keeps
steadily on his westward course, until. when
midsummer reigns he becomes a beautiful OBJ
Ject IN the morning sky. one of the fairest gems
that sparkle in the armament in the small
hours of the night, and continues to shine until
tine 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 least
interesting epoch of his course. rs for the fact
that between his conjunction and following OPP
position, he will pass perihelion and be 1907
100000 miles nearer the sun than when in
aphelion, an event that occurring but once in
aDOut thirty years, brings him perceptibly
nearer to- the earth. and makes him a more et-
fective target tor terrestrial telescopes.
saturn is, however, this month, only the
planet of promise. Safely hidden from mortal
eye, he travels on his unseen path coming to-
wards US and growing slightly brighter, until
his time comes to take visible presence.
Saturn, before conjunction, pays his respects to
Venus, the former travelling towards the sun,
the latter recedlng from the sun on the star
strewn pathway: Saturn, after conjunction,
meets Mercury, the one receding from and the
other approaching the sun. The three planets
have their meetings and partingS all TO them
are safely enshrOuded in the halo of light that
surrounds the sun, and are unseen by torres
trial observers.
Jupiter is evening star during the month.
He is superb object in the western evening
sky of June, the only visible planet, and the
brightest of the 3. 900 stars visible clear moon
less nights. His course will be Interesting to
watch, for he is now moving eastward among
the stars, or in direct motion, after having been
for "a long time stationary. or moving westward
i'm retrOgrade motion. as ii is technically called
Proof of this is readily seen by observing the
SLOWLY increasing distance between IN
regulus, the bright star, which he has now de-
serted for good.
society in London the Earl of Crawford made n
very interesting statement in regard to of
the satellites of Jupiter. DIR. Copeland, he said,
had recently observed n transit of Jupiter's
fourth satellite, that is the passage of the sate
lite over the planets disc W lille closely watch
Ing the phenomenon. ne saw the satellite over
take 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 transit over the suns disc But
we fear the grand phenomenon passed unseen
by any observers on the Jovian disc for there
Is hardly possibility that life even in its lowest
forms has yet been developed in the huge mass
where primeval chaos reigns.
Uranus IL evening star. On the 10th, at 10
O'Clock in tine 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 thenceforth must be
looked for in the western sky he makes his
way towards the sun. He is nearly stationary
during the month, and presents no other aspects
worthy OF record.
Mercury is morning star till the 9th, and
then evening star. On the 9th, at 10 o'clock
In The morning, he is in superior conjunction
with the sun. Since his previous superior con-
junction he has made one of his swift circuits
round the sun, which takes but IS of our days.
and whirled on in his course until he has over
his synodic revolution of 115 days, and coming
into line with the and the earth. At this
point OF his course he is beyond the sun, but he
quickly reappears on the suns eastern side, and
passes through his varied aspects of evening
and morning star until he has completed an
other synodic period in less than four of our
months Years are short on the fiery little
planet that travels closest to the sun one of
them numbering but IS of our days. \ terres-
trial veteran of three score and ten, translated
To Mercury. would be less than 900 years
Old on the Mercurial annals.
On the 9Th, at o'clock in the afternoon, Mer-
curry, when approaching the sun, encounters
Neptune recedins from the sun. They are in
close eonjunction. Mercury being As south. On
the 25d. at L O'Clock in the evening, the cOndi-
tons are reversed; Mercury, very near the sum-
meets Saturn travelling in the opposite drec-
ton, and they pass each other, as has been re-
ferred to- Mercury is the agitator OF the broth
erhoOd, and, moving winged feet, makes
things lively in the suns family.
Venus is evening star. She is slowly and
surely making her Way to visibility and her
presence in the glowing west will be warmly
welcomed. On the last day of the month she
sets an hour after the sun and sharp-sighted OBJ
servers may obtain a glimpse of her. She must
De looked IOr In the northwest, half degree
south of the sunset point in the constellation
Gemini, south of Castor and Pollux and north
OF Proeyon- Her high, northern declination
will make her more easily visible. Venus is in
conjunction with Saturn on the Tth as has
been referred to.
Neptune is morning star His path lies near
that of Mars during the month. The planets
are in conjunction on the 10th, at g O'Clock in
the evening. Neptune being 10 80 south.
month Saturn, Neptune and Mars are morning
stars; Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Uranus are
evening stars.
The June moon fulls on the GOTH at IA min
utes after 10 o'clock in the morning She is in
conjunction with Neptune on the 10th and
with Mars on the same day, 6 minutes later
showing how near together those planets are
On the 11th, the day before new moon she is at
her nearest point to Mercury, and on tine 18TH
the day after rev moon, she passes Venus. On
the 18th she Is in conjunction with Jupiter and
on the 10Th with Uranus.
The moon, on the 10th, OccultS Omicron
Leonis, a star OF the 3l2 magnitude in the con-
steilation Leo. The immersion takes place at
2 minutes before ! O'Clock, about half an hour
before sunset. The EMERSON occurs 1 minute
before O'Clock, 81 minutes after sunset The
3ecuitatlon continues L hour and minutes.
The EMERSON will be visible in a small teIe-
scope.
The moon occults Uranus FOR the fifth time
since the year commenced. The Occultation
occurs on the 10Th, and can be seen between
the limiting parallels OF 2Oo and 500 south ati-
baran on the 18th for those who chance to have
the right time and place for observation.
The month of June contributes an interesting
budget Of planetary events. The great sun
himself is joint actor with the members of his
family in three of them. the conjunction of Sat
urn, the quadrature of Uranus and the superior
conjunction OF Mercury. Five of the planets,
grouped near the sun and near to each other
make matters lively as they meet and pass on
the celestial track, Saturn being in conjunc-
ton with Venus and Mercury, and Neptune
With Mercury and Mars. The moon is not out
done by the more imposing members of the
family, for. besides drawing near TO each planet
in turn, she occults Uranus, Aldebaran and
OInicron Leonis FOR the pleasure of fortunate
observers IN some portions of the terrestrial do
mains Thus the month bears witness as all
previous months have done, and all coming
months Will do, to the neVer-ending succession
OF interesting phenomena the wondrous yarl-
ETY. and the ennObling influence that reward
the study OF the queen OF the sciences, the oldest
and the nOb!eSt OF them all.
He should Have His Pension.