The Portland daily press., 1889-03-08
Stage Malls, &c.
The Planets for March.

NEW YORK 1lneS.l
The movements of the sun for the months
Of March and September are always watched
with more than ordinary interest and par
ticularly is this the case when the sun com
Ing north passes the line and brings to the
assurance of long winter being at an end
and spring about commencing The vernal
equinox occurs this year on the Goth of the
month at 4.43 in the morning, the sun in this
latitude rising at 605 and setting at GA
O'Clock. theoretically, the days and nights
are Of equal length all over the globe on this
day, but practically, owing to the refraction
of the suns rays. this equality takes place
some three days earlier in the month. the
difference in the length of the days between
the LIST and 31st being hour and 10 minutes.
The moon favors us with five different
phases in March, beginning and ending the
month with new moon, and giving us a
full moon on the 18th at 6.29 a. m. The
moon is nearest the earth on the 21st and is
faithest away from us on the 9th. She is in
CONJUNCTION with Mars on the Sd, has a very
close conjunction with Neptune on the 18th
and with Saturn on the 18th. On the oath,
the day of her last quartering, she is in con-
junction with Jupiter, and on the 29th with
Mercury.
March is an interesting month for amateur
star-gazers for defining the position of the
various planets visible to the eye by refer
ing their location to the various locations of
the moon. Jupiter again reignsrsupreme as
morning star and serves long before the
streaks OF dawn are visible to light the dis
penser of our tactical supply on his milky
way-to speak astr0nomically. He rises
about 8 p. M, is splendid object in the
small hours of the morning, and will con-
tinue to be morning star until just after the
summer solstice. He is to be found In the
constellation Of Sagittarius, and on the 9th
is In quadrature with the sun.
Mercury is the only companion to Jupiter
as a morning star, but as he rises in the
early dawn and sets about four o'clock in the
afternoon his presence is hardly noticeable
On the 18th, however, he Is at his greatest
elongation. and for few days previous to
this date, and as many more following, the
planet is visible to the naked eye in the con-
steiiatiOn of Capricornus.
All of the remaining five planets are even
ing stars. Venus, the queen of all the plan
cts in the clear. cool atmosphere, seems to be
ever of increasing brilliancy, causing the
brightest stars in the armament to pale in
comparison. Her present aspect as seen
through the telescope is that of the waning
crescent. She sets about ten O'Clock, and on
the 9th is nearest the sun.
Saturn comes next to Venus in size and
briiliancy as we see the evening stars. He
came to the meridian about 0.30 O'Clock on
the LIST, and the same condition may be OBJ
steady light, and pale yellow tint render him
quite distinct from the surrounding stars,
the nearest bright one being Regulus in the
handle of the Sickle. Saturn in opposition
four years ago was then seen under the most
favorable conditions possible, with his rings
open TO their fullest extent. Those of us who
remember this article in 1915 may again hope
to see him under equally favorable circum-
stances. at which time there will be recur-
renee of the same conditions.
Mars, the third Of the evening stars, set
ting shortly after eight O'Clock in the even
Ing, offers but little that is of particular in
terest. Next year, however, Mars will be of
much more Importance, as he will be in OPP
position. He is now moving northward and
eastward, but is SO far away that he is not
Uranus now rises about 0 p. m. setting at
$40 a; M. and is not very far from the bright
star Splca, of the first magnitude. This
planet VIII soon be near enough to he visible
without the aid Of telescope or glasses
Neptune closes the list of planets, Int he
remains SO very distant that he cannot he
found without artificial aid He is in con.
junction with the moon on the nth heino on
that day q 90 north of our satellite Men.
tune sets little after night at the BEGINNING
OF the month, and is to be found in the cons
stellation of Taurus. w"