The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1889-02-23
VENUS DURING FEBRUARY.

Venus is still evening star Ian.
guage fails when we seek for words
to express the fascinating beauty
of this peerless planet in her pres
ent aspect. Sirius, though it sur
passes in brilliancy the other suns
Of space, pales in the presence of
the brightest gem that adorns the
diadem of night. An epoch of our
sister planet occurred last Monday,
18th inst. On that date she reached
her greatest eastern elongation, and
was 46 deg. 36 min. east of the sun.
She is now retracing her steps and
approaching the sun. The proof
Of this fact will very soon be seen
in her shorter stay above the hori-
zon. Her brilliancy will continue
to increase, for as she approaches
the sun she also approaches the
earth. She is well worth looking
for every clear evening.
Another feature that contributes
to her brill fancy is her movement
northward, The course of Venus
is easily followed, as she oscillates
in straight lines east and west of
the sun. When she is east of the
sun she is evening star, and when
west, she is morning star. She COM
lnenced her present course as even
ing star on July II. 1888, but was
too near the sun to be seen until
the last Of September, when she
shone for a very short time Just
after sunset, and has since given US
more and more Of her sweet pres
ence, until now, having reached her
greatest distance east of the sun,
she begins to retrace her course
with quickencd step, entering upon
the most brilliant part of her ca
reer. Venus sets quite early in the
evening, and her moment of disap-
pearance is we'll worth watching for,
rs she seems to rest like a brilliant
jewel, for an instant, on the crest Of
the mountain. Venus shines with
transcendant lustre throughout this
month, but she has reached the end
OF the invisible chain that binds
her to the sun, and inevitable law
forces her to retrace her steps. She
will be evening star until April 30,
and after that morning star for the
rest of the year.
February is not usually a good
month to observe the beauties of
the celestial picture, on account of
storms, but this year has proved an
exception. There have been but
very few nights when one could not
study the stars in a serene atmos-
phere and under cloudless canopy.
Four visible planets wind their
devious way over the February sky.
Swift-footed Mercury is also even
ing star, shining with fitful light in
the deepening twilight. Saturn is
at his brightest, for he is nearest
the earth when opposite the sun,
and trcads the celestial track with
starry feet from sunset until down.
Jupiter reigns alone in the small
hours of the morning, growing
brighter and drawing nearer.
But more important to dwellers
on this portion of earth's domain
is the northward progress of our
own sun, causing the rapid length
enlng of the days. At the end of
this month more than two hours of
precious daylight will have been
gained to the length of the day
since the shortest one. Nature will
soon be waking from her long sleep.
her forces will stir beneath the soil,
and though the ground be covered
with belated snow, it cannot long
resist the strengthening rays of the
GOD of day." and almost while we
wonder, the hills will become green
and spring be here.
A DISPATCH from San Joeo Co)