Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-02-28

| 45/ north, his diameter IS 49,, ana
he is in the constellation Gemini.
Saturn sets on the LIST about half-psst
2 o'clock in the morning; on the 3lst
no sets about . quarter before ] O'Clock.
VENUS is morning star during the
month. She is an object Of surprising
loneliness when the morning light IS
breaking. On the list she rises nearly
an hour and half before the sun, and
making her advent little earlier on
each succeeding morning she may be
seen at the close OF the month two
hours before sunrise; neither is her
light put out by the coming Of the
great day.star, for she continues to
shine in his majestic presence, as care
full observers may see for them
selves. On the Goth she reaches
her period of greatest brilliancy
ON the suns western side As morning
star. There are two Of these periods.
One Of them took place on the 18th
day Of February, thirty-six days before
inferior conjunction. The second Pc
Rod will take place on the 26th, thirty
six DAYS after inferior conjunction. AT
this time one fourth OF the planets disc
is illumined, and she is 40' west of the
sun. Seen in the telescope, this charm
ing star takes in the form Of the wax
ing moon as she passes from new moon
to the first quarter.
The right ascension Of Venus on the
1st is 9Th. 33m., her declination is 81
AS south, her diameter 57//.6 and she
is in the constellation Aquarius.
Venus rises on the LIST about O'Clock
in the morning on the 9lst she rises
about balf-past 3 O'Clock.
MERCURY is evening star. He is an
interesting member Of the planetary
community during the month, for 1t is
the best time OF all the year to see him
as evening star with the naked eye.
lie reaches his greatest eastern elonga-
ton on the Dist at 10 O'Clock in the
evening, when he is Is degrees 40> east
of the sun. At that time and for
a week before and after he may
be found by careful observers. lie
sets on the 2lst about half-paSt I
O'Clock, an hour and half after the
sun. If the atmosphere be favorable
he may be found three quarters OF an
hour after sunset about 90 north Of the
sunset point. There are no prominent
stars near him, but the Square Of Pega-
sus, about lG0 northwest, will give
some idea of his position.
The right ascension Of Mercury on
the lst is och. On, his declination is
G. 81 south; his diameter is 81, and
he is in the constellation Pisces.
Mercury sets on the lst about quar-
ter before 6 o'clock in the evening; on
the 31st be sets at quarter after
o'clock.
NEPTUNE is evening star. At the
close of the month the planets, with
the exception Of Venus, are all evening
stars. in the following order of dis
lance from the sun, beginning with the
nearest: Mercury, Neptune, Saturn,
Mars, Jupiter, and Uranus.
The right ascension Of Neptune on
the LIST is 3h. 24m., his decllnation is
Ice j2' north, his diameter is 2" IS,
and be is il the constellation Taurus.
Neptune sets on the lst at half-past
IL O'Clock in the evening; on the 3lst
he sets soon after halfpast Q O'Clock.
THE MOON.
The March moon fulls on the 10th at
lib. Sim. p. NJ. The full moon oc-
curing so near the Dist, or the vernal
equinox, brings Easter at the latest
possible date, the 2jth Of April, for
the next full moon after the 2lst occurs
on the 18th of April, which is Sunday.
Therefore Easter falls on the following
Sunday, the .25th Of April, an event
which will not take place again until
1913. The moon exerts mighty in
fuence in this way upon the affairs OF
this planet.
The moon is in conjunction with We
nus on the Sd at An. SIM. p. NJ, being
at that time &c IL south. She has a
close conjunction with Mercury, when
two days old, on the 9th, at l2h. Aim.
p. NJ, being s. south. On the 18th
the moon is at her nearest point to Nep-
tune at In. Aim. A. NJ, being 80 l5/
south. On the 18th she draws near
Saturn at llh. ION. p. NJ, being II
OF south. On the 18th she is in con-
junction with Mars, at sh. 23m. p. NJ,
being 4e 81 south. On the Goth she
is in close conjunction with Jupiter at
Oh. 3lm. A. NJ, being l3/ north. On
the Goth she passes near Uranus, at
Oh. ION. A. NJ, being 10 Is north.
On the 3lst she is again in conjunction
with Venus at Oh, 30m. p. NJ, being
IL So south.
OCCUPATIONS.
The moon occults Jupiter on the Goth
at On. Som. A. NJ, and occults Uranus
on the same day at Oh. Ism. A. NJ. In
order to see these OSCILLATIONS observers
must be so located as to see the moon
in her geocentric position. Unfortu-
nately the conditions are unfayorable
in this vicinity, and our satellite will
not blot these planets from the heavens
for our entertainment. The moon alsc
occults Aldebaran on the L%Itn At Oh.
Ism. A. NJ, but nos rof the dwellers
on this portion 81 the earth'S surface.
ECLIPSE OF THE SUN.
There will be an aunular eclipse oil
the sun on the 5th. The path of the
beautiful phenomenon is chiefly con,
fined to the Pacific ocean, the central
line crossing land in Mexico. The
eclipse will be invisible in New Eng
land, but will be visible as partia
eclipse in the greater part OF the United
States and in the eastern part OF Aus
tralia.
MARCH exhibits an unusually active
condition of the solar system. Mars
Jupiter, and Uranus are in opposition
Saturn is in quadrature, Venus at he
period of greatest brilliancy, Mercury
at eastern elongation, the moon occult:
Jupiter, Uranus and Aldebaran as wei
J as multitude Of smaller stars, and eyei
} the great sun himself is seen as {
golden ring surrounding the dark BODY
Of the intervening moon. An observer
taking fancy flight to the sun woulC
behold startling picture on the 2lst
Our planet will then be in line with