Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-03-17
PLANETS In MARCH.
The Panorama OF the Heavens Cn-
rolled in Celestial Spiendor.

March exhibits an unusually active
condition of fine solar system. Mars,
Jupiter and Uranus are in opposition,
Saturn is in the quadrature, Venus at
her period OF greatest brilliancy, Mer-
curry at eastern elongatlon, the moon
occults Jupiter, Uranus aud Aldebaran
as well as a multitude OF smaller stars,
and even the great sun himself is seen
as golden ring surrounding the dark
body of the intervening moon. An OBJ
server taking fancy flight to the sun
would behold startling picture ON the
21st. Our planet will then be in line
with Jupiter, Mars VIII be a little to
the west, and Uranus lesser distance
to the east. -Four planets Will thus be
congregated nearly in line, pulling upon
the sun with the force of their combined
attraction, but the sun is master of the
situation. \ greater preponderance Of
matter at one point has occurred many
times before, and will occur many times
in the future. The sun and his retinue
of worlds safely pursue their symmetri-
cal course, and millions of years must
pass before their mission in the materi-
al universe is completed.
Jupiter is morning star until the 21st,
when in astronomical classification he
ranks as evening star, rs from that time
he is on the SUMS eastern side. The
law is that planets on the eastern side
of the sun are evening stars; those on
the western side are morning stars.
Jupiter wins the place of honor among
the solar brotherhood on the March
annals, for he is the fairest and bright
est star that glOws in the armament
until he draws near the western hori-
ZOn, when Venus appears rejoicing III
the east and his supremacy vanishes in
her radiant presence. Jupiter can nev-
er be mistaker: for any other star when
shining on dark sky. Venus is his
only rival. When both planets are seen
together on the twilight sky Venus is
the brighter, but even her greatest bril-
liancy hardly surpasseS that of Jupiter
when shining on the midnight sky.
On the 2lst, at O'Clock in the after
neon, Jupiter is in opposition with tho
sun. He passes from the SUMS western
side to his eastern, and is in line with
the earth and sun, the earth being in
the middle. As the event takes place
few days after the middle of the month,
observers will see Jupiter in his best
aspect before and after opposition. He
rises soon after sunset before the event,
and rises before sunset after the event.
lie is a superb object 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, rs he nears the
western horizon, or sinks below it. The
starry arch formed by the four bright
stars, Regulus, Mars, Jupiter and Spi-
ca, may be easily traced, as il will be in
fine position for observation during the
month. The Prince OF the Planets will
abundantlY reward telescope study, for
there IS hardly an object in the heavens
more easily observed. i small teleS-
cope viii reveal the four moons, the
belts and sometimes the spots. In a
powerful telescope he is magnificent.
The moons are discs, not points, with
varied markings, the belts take on many
forms and are tinted with soft, prisma-
tic hues, the bright spots are brought
out with startling effect. and the fa- |
nous red spot of 1873 is still discernible,
He is within five months of aphelion, |
or his most distant point from the sun,
making him about % 100000 miles far |
tier from the earth than when in per-
iheliOn, and his declination is about 1o |
north. In his best condition for obser-
vation he must be in opposition, in peri
helion and in his brightest northern de- /
clination at nearly the same time. This
cannot occur ULtil 1892. When very
bright he casts shadows in 4 darkened /
room. and has often been seen with the
naked eye by reliable observers IN high
and clear sunshine.