Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-12-05
ASTRONOMICAL.
THE PLANETS PoR TIE noHrH or
DECEMBER
Celestial Beauties Viewed Through the
Telescope and Saturn ID
The Winter soistice.
IPrnridence Journal. !


she will shine after sunset ID the west, In
stead Of before sunrise in the east. Az
though she Is now bloited from the sky as
IFas TERRESTRIAL observation Is concerned,
-re wins the place Of honor on the monthly
annals, for the goal she passes will soon
lring her into place as chief among the
stinIna thrOng thai adorn tae early western
skv. She l. beautiful when she hangs re-
-ulcndeni "undcT the opening eYclids OF
the morn :" (; hut she is more beautiful "hen
fair.si Of stars. last IN the train OF night,
she descends with charming grace to tue
HORIZON. and the golden glow OF twilight
following closely In The wake OF the great
day star. from whom she borrOws her ligbt.
She will take on tins lovely aspect before the
first month OF the new yeaI closes, ana We
shall eR5uy Der serene light in the evening
sky through the winter, spring, ana sum
ner ni the next wear, Tor she VIII
be evening star until the 2O.h Oi
SEPTEMBER. She will not be visible
during the present month, for the simple
reason that she l. hidden in TIE suns ID
tense brightness. she Is, however, travel
Ing eastward from the sun, true as the
needle 10 the pole" In about six weeks
she " M be Tar enough away from hun to be
visible to BRIGHT observers lust after sun
set, and the beauty OF the star floating on
the tremulous waves Of light that follow
the suns departure will repay the diligeni
watcher for tho trouble required. Ibe
present j. favorable opportunity 10 follow
the movements Of orr nearest celestial
ndghbor, for she Will oscillate eastward.
increasing oh the time her distance irOm
the sun until July, when she Will begin 10
rcirace her steps. The proof OF this !,
found IN the fact that she grows brighter
and her stay above the horizon in the eve
ming grows longer with every rlappearlnce
81 the radiant star.
y be right ascension cf Venus on the ] 4
H. iGh. 3jm., her declinltion j. 90 So
south, her diameter j. TO. ~, and she i IN
the constellation ScorpiO.
Venus rises on the Isl Just before
o'clock in the morning: on the 3lst she
sets about quarter before o'clock In the
evening
GURCTEy is evening star until the 81,
end morning star Tor theTest Of the month.
on the Sd, al : O'Clock in the morning, be-
Is in inferior conjunction with the sun.
passing between the earth and the sun,
appearing on his western side 20. morning
slar. Ncnu, and Mercury. therefore,
present opposite phases OF almost the
same time. The former Is in superior
conjunction only eight hours before the
latter j. in inferior conjunction The one.
il visible in the telescope. shows q SIl1ll
round dix like the full moon; the Other
has bis dark side turned towards the
earth. Ike the moon 81 uew moon.
Although Mercury i, at his nearest
app Oacu io our globe. and Venus Is al
her erc1tes, distance, The two planets,
Il visible would seem 20 De close together.
1bcy are il conjunction on the "a al s
O'Clock fl TIE morning. Mercury being 20;
tlai time j "a north. Another note
worthy event occurs in MercurYs move
mcuis Oh The 23d NJ o'clock IN the morn
irl. He reaches bis greatest western
elonaa,iOu, and j. al hat time - G. wc-t
81 the sun. lie j. iV low southern dec.lnl-
ton. hut Jlc sun j. in still lower. 80 thai
the planet, which Is gb0ut north % The
>uu. viii bee favorably situated for Ob~cr.
yalion win the naked cvc n clonea'o1
and FOR o week before and after. Mercury
rises on the sd about o quarter before
O'Clock. nearly two hour before the sun,
and must be looked for in the southeast.
- north OF the sunrise point. icW degree,
northwest If the bright star Antlres. on
the 18Th the sViii-wiuccd planet is less than
g northwest OF Beta >corpi, . brilliant
star Of the second magnitude. These stIr
will serve d guides 10 point on, tic pre-
scnce OF the ltiul planet.
The right ascension % Mercury on the
is, Is 1Gh, CON-, hi defamation j. 2l- 49,
south. bic diameter il g.|G. and he /, in The
constellation Opmuchus.
Mercury sets on the Is about haif.pasi
O'Clock IN the evening on the 3ls, Dr. ria-s
about g O'Clock IN Tie morning.
sAUEN is morning star. II Ncnu- ana
Mercury claim precedence for the inie' est
ing epoch, that enIven their course. saturn
stand Unrivalicd on The December ANIMAL,
Tor his beautiful appearance among the
Stars. and for his hi.h'y favorable position
for observation. lie reign, alone in the
cynin. sky. Venus and Mcrcury
are hidden IN thc sunlight Mar D.
barely p,Tcephie, and Jupiter iium-
nate, Tie morning sky. saturn. when tht
month commence, ri.es q, O'clock and
. visible during nearly the whole night
Ill, COURSE isre,rogradc during The month
that is, he is apparently moving west ward.
The bright planet shines with O. serene
liCht, and can De recognized at Glance iu
thc eastern shy I'm tine early evening, Will
the tUin stars Castor and FoliuS on TIE
1OT,A and IrOcsOn on thc sourh.
The right ascension Of saturn ON the j.,
Is ID. o4m.. Dbl, declnatlou Is II - NORTH.
bis diameter is Is 4. and be ]. the cOn>-ai-
E'Ion gciun..
saturn rise, ON lle lst a1ol quarter
after o'c,ock IN the evening on TIA 3l-i
BE- rise about quarter after = O'Clock.
JTriTFH !. morning star. Observer. o.
thc eastern Sky soon after g O'Clock iu the
morning DO iAe casiv Uart OF the month
O. Of ..fr.
planet. when hc viii come looming above
the horizon with q BRIGHTNESS which SUE
passes that Of any other visible star. The
first magnitude star near Jupiter Is >p.rl.
The ri-h' ascension oi Jupiter or thr
Isl j. l3h. 5im., BIZ dechua,i0n D. o. -
south, his diameter 3, 80. @. and b > ,n
Tie constellation Virgo.
Jupiter rises on tho III a. q quartc- a.ic-
O'Clock IN the morning on tht @ ue
ri-c- q quarter before CLOCK.
MARS }. evening star. He set, uel-'i
Two hour after TIE sun, but boz has q Zoe
died 20 q mere pom; and = difficult o. md
~ the western ky. IL must be- lIlblt
Tor near the brightest star in the bog 10.
The inverted CippeT IN SaHtarius, ila
down in the southwest an hoEr after u-
sci.
=
ISL. Am. bis dcclinatiOn il rs 8 ~or-t.
~, diameter /, rs. and he j. in the eJn-
ISOLATION Sagiftarius
Mars sells on the Is; about hali-1a,i q
O'clock in the evening: on tle 3lst hr ,-t-
a. nearly the same time.
UEANUs j. morning star. Very bright
ewes wll discern his presence 3 soIt Of
Gsmma Virgins. lie j. also in the neigh
bOrhOOd Of The asierOid Nc,ta. s good
telescope Will be essential Tor the best DE
seryaton Of the giant planet and H. small
neigbbOT.
The right ascension Of Uranus on Pee ISL
Is IN. 43m., his declnation i q &c south.
his diameter j. 9" ., and he Is IN Oh. c5H-
steiatiOn Virgo.
ranus rises on the ii about . o'c.pcf ~ /
tie morning; on the 3lst he ri,e, irT |
minutes after midnight.
NEPTUNE j. evening star, and under ii- !
voratle conditions for telescope o,.,rya- /
ton. being above the horizon nearly The !
whole night, be may be found south OF the /
Plciades.
At the close OF the month Nfyunc, |
Mars, and Venus are evening star. Mcr. 1
curry, Jupiter, Uranus, and Saturn gre /
siais.
The right ascension Of Neptuur M The /
1T j. 30. SIM, hi dcclsation D, -- 81, |