Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-05-04
The Planets During May.

Jupiter is morning star until the 2ist, and
then evening star. He takes the foremost
rank on the May records, for throughout the
month he is first in size and first in brillan.
cy of all the glittering hosts of stare that
bestud the sky. The reason for his present
precedence is his opposition with the sun,
that occurs on the 21st at midnight. He is
then apparently as far from the sun as pos
sible, and as near to the earth as possible
The elimination of his glory is reached IS
far as terrestrial observation is concerned.
He has no rival but Venus, and she i5 now
far from his path, hiding her diminished
head in the bright sunbeems. Jupiter is in
close conjunction with Beta Scorpii on the
Goth at 10 o'clock in the evening, when they
appear to Craze each Other.
Mars is evening star, and during the en-
tire month will be near enough to Jupiter
to give an opportunity for contrasting the
relative size of the two planets. Both
| planets were very brilliant during April, as
they have looked down from the heavens,
especially from the blackness of the mid
night sky.
Uranus is evening star. The two inter-
esting events in his course are that he is
visible to the unaided eye and that he en-
| counters Mars for the second time during
| the present year.
Saturn is evening star He is still an easy
object for study, as he appeals serenely
shining in the western sky, but is losing his
prestige which has attended his course
since 1855, as his rings are sensibly closing
around him, and his size and brilliancy are
| lessening.
Mercury is morning star till the 30!h,
| boy bo o;I nd
| becomes an evening star. Mercury and
Neptune are in conjunction on the 10Th.
Neptune is evening star till the Goth, and
then morning star.
Venus is morning star. She is of little
account in these days, rising on the 1st about
half sn hour before the sun, and nearly hid
den in the sunbeams
The moon fulls on the 25th. She s in
conjunction with Venus on the 9th with
Mercury on the 10th, very near to Saturn
on the 10th, and on the 2lst is in conjunc-
ton with Mars and Uranus Last in her
circuit she swings her ponderous sphere
between the earth and Jupiter, on the 25tb.
The sky is alive during the starlight
nights of May with the wanderings of our
brother planets, as in various aspects they
sweep into their vast orbits around the
great central orbit. Jupiter, Mars and
Saturn are evening stars, are all visible
in the early evening, and are in fine
position for observation. Jupiter, the
'star of imperial Jove," heads the
list superb in size and coloring.
He is retrograding. or moving backwards,
and almost brushes Beta Scorpii in his course.
The event comes off at convenient hour,
and under fine conditions. and we trust
will be carefully observed. Mars, also re-
trograding, emulatipg his lordly rival, en-.
counters slowmoving Uranus in his course,
and pale Saturn, moving eastward or in
direct course, advances towards Pr3sepe,
the starry cluster through which he will
presently plunge. All the planets except
Venus are congregated on the suns eastern
side from the 10th to the Goth. The lovely
month of May, when flowers bloom, birds
sing their sweetest songs and the earth s
with verdure clad. holds also in its gift. as
soon as the evening shades prevail, acharm.
ing picture of our nearest celestial neighbors,
as, looking down with friendly eyes upon
our little planet, they move, swsyed by un.
deviating laws, over the vast concave that
arches above u.s. The planets are more tan
gible than the other inhabitants of celestial
space, for they are members of the same
family as the earth, have the same origin
and the same irrevocable fate. The more
familiar we become with their movements
and history, the greater will be the feeling
of ownership and the easier it will be to
keep track of them, to know them By name.
The study is fascinating as we'll as elevat'
ng.-Prouidence Journal