Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-08-28
sEPrEMBER.s NIGHT SKIES.
what che First Fau Month VIII 0hsw
90 Star Ganers.
From the Providence Journal.
THE PLANETS.

90 Star Gasers.
From the Providence Journal.
THE PLANErs
venus IL morning star, and, perhaps, tho
most interesting member OF the planetary
brotherhood during the month. She il near
Ing the Close OF her period of visibility morn
Ing star. for. amer the present month closes.
she Will grow dim from her distance from the
earth, and her approaching conjunction with
the great luminary from whom she borrows
her power 10 shine. She ia however, OF
the most beautiful stars that gem the morn
ing sky, even I'm her waning loneliness. Venus
rises on the LIST at q quarter after 8 o'clock In
the morning; on the 30th she rises about o
quarter after 4 o'clock.
Saturn Is morning star. He Is now n promt.
nent object In the morning sky, rising at the
beginning Of the month, at 1 O'Clock In the
morning, and making his appearance soon
after Ii o'clock In the evening st ats close. He
must be looked for in the northeast. and may
be easily recognized by his size, serene light
iiy. The increasing distance between ssturs
aud Venus will he plainly perceptible the
former planet approaches the earth, and the
latter recedes from It. But the wonder OF the
system will not be seen for many years to come
under the exceptional conditions that have
year. He is moving slowly south, his rings viii
soon begin 10 draw closer around him, aud his
course lies farther and farther a-.ay IRON the
sun. 4
Mercury 10 morning star until the 21th, when
ne changes 10 evening star. On the I'd he reaches
west of the sn mes, o , eiongat.on, being ls
hour and a quarter before the sun. and his
declination is &c farther north than that of the
east of him. He Is however, at nearly his
minimum distance from the sun at the present
nscrs MI, H., WIEN makes II more difiicalt 70
ing the year tor seeing the bright little planet
WITH the naked eye as morning star. On the
2sth, al III O'Clock In the afternoon Mercury n
In superior conjunction with The sun, and aitse
that time ranks among the evening stars
towards opposition, and during the mon IA meets
with no adventures by the way. Neptune rises
on the LIST about half-past O'CLOCK In the
evening; on the 3Oth he rises about half past
O'clock.
Jupiter IL evening star. He 4. .un the
time he Is above the horizon. But he hides
his prfncely head beneath the western hills
mences, and two hours earlier aimos, with
the sun, when 10 closes. On the 9th Jupiter 10
Ia conjunction with the beautiful star Gamma
Mars IL evening star. He 10 still family per.
cepti6ie about l4o southeast OF spica. He 10
small In size, his rudy tint has faded, and he
Is travelling rapidly southwark. An opera
glass will be an assistant In picking him up.
Mars sets On the LIST at half-psst . O'Clock in
.ne evening on the 3oth he sets NJ haIf-past
v, Uranus Is, is evening star; he is no lonses
visible 10 the most far-seeing unassisted eye
anu ID In the near precincts of the sun.
THE HARVEST MOON.
When our satellite, on the 18th, presents her
iuil round lace TO the earth, the most beautiful
moon OF all the year is inaugurated for during
several successive nights she appears above the
eastern horizon soon after the sun has disare
peared below the western. During the four
evenings succeeding the full of the saptember
Lnoon, there Is an average difference Ia the time
OF her rising OF only thirty-two minutes For
this reason the evenings following the full OF
the moon In September have furnished themes
Ior poeuc inspiration since men began TO OH
serve the heavens. The husbandmen OF old.
who lived near 10 nature saw In the arrange.
ment OF providential Interpositiou TO prolons
the day, aud thus lead them assistance In gain.
ering I'm the harvest, and honored the occasion
oy giving the name OF the Harvest Moon 10
TINS special moon. Their simple faith was
more reverential than scientific, but none the
less 10 be admired. Science, however explains
the reason for this apparent departure from the
moons usual course. and throws TO the winds
the simple theory that the moon deyiates from
her answering course 10 aid the husbandmeu
Oh the north temperate zone.
THE AUTUMNAL EQUINOX.
On the 22d, at 10 O'Clock In the evening, the
autumnal equinox occurs. The sun then enters
the sign Libra, the ecliptic and the equator
cross each other and the astronomical az
tumn commences: The sun shines from pole
10 pole, night and day are OF equal length all
over the globe, and, I'm our belt of terrestrial
territory, the luminary which is our life and
light looks down with smiling face upon a
scene fair TO behold. The fruItion Of vegetable
development crowns the picture. The earth has
yielded her choicest treasures from her fruitful
BOSOM. Rich harvests load the broad fields,
trees bend under the weight OF ripening fruiL
flowers OF brilliant hue brighten the landscape.
the culmlnation Of the suns influence is every
where apparent But even at this Interesting
point OF the earth's Journey around the sun
there 10 foreshadowing Of change. On the
very day when the autumnal equinox occurs
the sun goes into southern decllnation, be
Is little longer below the horizon than he In
above it, the night 10 q little longer than the
day. The sun IL on the road to the winter sol-
stice, we are slowly travelling to the kingdom
where Ice and snow hold sovereign sway. We
are, however, gently led on the sorrowful path,
through the sunny days OF September and Co
tober that are beautiful u dream and nlled
with an atmosphere whose perfumed breath n
like the tabled elixir of Lille.