Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-02-28
TIE PLANETS FOR MARCH.
SWEEPING TIE HeAYENs.


4 rscp Tkreuah she relcsecpe--s1oveme
- sAs Principal Heavenly Bodies oees'sa-
Neas.
JUPITER is morning star until the
2lst, whom In astronomical classified
sien he ranks as evening star, IS from
that time he is on the suns eastern
eide, The law is that planets on the
eastern side of the sun are evening
stsrs; those on the western side are
morning stars. Jupiter wins the place
Of honor among the solar brotherhood
cnthe March annals, for he is the fairest
and brightest star that glcws ia the
Armament until he draws near the
western horizon, when Venus appears
rejoicing in the east, andhis supremacy
vanishes in her radiant presence. Ju-
piser can never be mistaken for any
other star when shining on dark sky.
Venus Is his only rival. When both
planets are seen together on the twi.
light sky Venus is the brighter, but
even Der greatest brilliancy hardly SUR
passes that Of Jupiter when shining on
ths midnight sky.
On the 2lst, at ] o'clock in the after
noon, Jupiter is in opposition with the
sun. lie passes from the suns west
ern side to his eastern, and is in line
with the earth and the sun, the earth
being in the middle. AS the event
takes place few days after the middle
oftbe month, observers will see Jupi-
ter in his best aspect before and after
opposition. lie rises soon after sunset
before the event, and rises before sun
SET after the event. lie is superb ob.
ject for star gazers as he looms above
The horizon In the early evening, looks
down from the zenith about midnight,
and fades away in the light of the
coming sun as he nears the western ho-
rizon or sinks below it. The starry
arch formed by the four bright stars,
Regulus, Mars, Jupiter, and Spica, may
be easily traced, as it will be in fine
position for observation during the
month. The Prince Of Planets will
abundantly reward telescope study, for
there is hardly an object in the heavens
more easily observed. A small telescope
will reveal the four moons, the belts,
and sometimes the spots. In q pow
erful telescope he is magnificent. The
moons are discs, not points, with varied
markings, the belts take on many forms
and are tinted with soft, prismatic
hues, the bright spots are brought out
with startling effect, and the famous
red spot Of 1873 is still discernible.
The largest telescopes show their power
not so much in magnifying objects as
in throwing light upon them. We have
seen Jupiter in an eight-inch telescope,
and also in the great Russian telescope
ofthirty Inch aperture. The planet was
of nearly the same dimension in both in
struments. but the features were clearer
and the disc brighter in the larger
telescope. There are two reasons that
will prevent Jupiter from taking on his
last aspect at the coming opposition.
He Is within five months Of aphelion,
or bis most distant point from the sun,
making him about 100000 miles
farther from the earth than when in
perihelion, and his declination is about
II north. In his best conditions for
observation he must be in opposition,
in pefihelion, and in his highest north
ern declination at nearly the same time.
This cannot occur until 1892. When
very bright be casts shadows in dark
ened room, and has often been seen
with the naked eye by reliable OBJ
servers in high and clear sunshine.
The right ascension Of Jupiter on the
LIST is l2h. l5m. bis declination is o.
q north; bis diameter is 4l".6, and
he is in the constellation of Virgo.
Jupiter rises on the 1st about quar-
ter after o'clock in the evening; on
the 3lst he sets at quarter after )
o'clock in the morning.
MARS is morning star until the 9th,
when he changes his role to that of
evening star, for the same reason that
has been illustrated in the case of
Jupiter's. He comes into opposition
with the sun on the 9th, at O'Clock in
the morning. Since his last opposition
IN 1884, the earth will, on the 9th, have
made two revolutions in her orbit, and
advanced fifty days on third revolu-
ton, while Mars has been completing
his synodic revolution Of $50 days. 1t
requires this amount Of time to bring
the sun, the earth and Mars into
line. At opposition, as the word i'm
plies, Mars is opposite " the sun, and
turns his red, round face towards US,
presenting himself for terrestrial in
spsction. We do not, however, get the
best view Of our celestial neighbor.
This will not occur until 1892, two op-
positions intervening before the much
desired epoch occurs. The best oppo-
si,ions occur at intervals of fifteen
years. For then, as in 1877, when the
Marian moons were discovered, the
earth being farthest from the sun and
Mars nearest to him, the two planets
must be at their closest point OF APP
preach.
Mars, however, presents fine
appearance at his present opposition,
with his .uddy hue and brilliant face,
bu. ms nay Of distinction quickly
passes, and in q month perceptible
decrease in size and brilliancy will take
place. Mars is in good condition for
telescope observation, for he presents
the appearance of full moon rising
through Q ruddy haze. 1t requires a
good glass and q practiced eye to dis
Germ the wonderful features and mark
ings that esgle-eyed astronomers have
mapped out on his disc.
The right ascension Of Mars on the
LIST is llh. CON-, his decliaation is
So AZ north, his diameter is l5>>, aud
he Is In the constellation Leo.
Mars rises on the LIST few minute:
before 6 O'Clock in the evening on the
.3lst he sets at halfpast 4 o'clock IL
the morning.
URANUS Is morning star until thu
: 26th, when, like Mars and Jupiter, h'
takes his turn in coming into opposition
with the sun. This event occurs on tn
26th, At s o'clock in the morning, ate
which he becomes evening star. 1T
Z seldom that three planets are in oppo
r A