Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-05

An Interesting Month for Amateur Star
Gaxers

An Interesting Month for Amateur Star
Gazers.
From the New YORK Times.
The movements OF the sun for the months
% March and September are always watched
with more than ordinary interest. and psrticu-
larry is this the case when the sun coming north
passes the line and brings TO us the assurance
Of long winter being at an end and spring
about commencing. The vernal equinox occurs
this year on the 10th of the month At 4:sS i'm
the morning, the sun in this latitude rising at
Cos and setsipg at 6:ll o'clock. Theore tically.
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 Slst being one hour and
nineteen 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;S9 a. m. The moon il nearest the
earth on the 2lst and furthest away from us on
the 9Th. She Is in conjunction with Mars ON
the Sd. has a very close conjunction with Nep-
tune on the 9TH and with Saturn on the 18th
On the 24th the day of her last quartering, she
is IN conjunction with Jupiter, and on the 18th
with Mercury.
March is an interesting month for amateur
rious planets visible 20 the eve by referring
their location TO the various locations of the
moon. Jupiter again reigns supreme as MORN
ing star and serves long before the streaks of
dawn are visible 10 light the dispenser of our
tactical supply on his milky way-to speak as
Economically. He rises about 8 am, is a splen-
did object in the small hours of the morning,
and will continue TO be morning star until Just
after the summer solstice. He is 20 be found
IN the constellation of Sagittarius, and on the
2Ith is In quadrature with the sun.
Mercury Is the only companion to Jupiter az
morning star, but as he rises in the early
dawn and sets about o'clock in the afternoon
his presence is hardly noticeable. On the 18th,
however, he Is at has greatest elongation, and
for few days previous 20 this date and as
many more following the planet is visible TO
the naked eye in the constellation of Capri
cornus
All of the remaining five planets are evening
stars. Venus. the queen offs the planets in
the clear, cool atmosphere, seems 70 be ever
OF increasing brilliEncy, causing the brightest
stars in the ornament TO pale in comparison
Her present aspect as seen through the tele-
scope is that of the waning crescent She sets
about 10 O'Clock, and on the 5th is nearest the
sun.
Saturn comes next to Venus in size and bril-
nancy as we see the evening stars. He came
to the meridian about 1890 O'Clock on the LIST
and the same condition may be observed at
$50 on the 3lst, and his serene, steady light
dhu pdlc .SllON TINT rtnuef MIN quite distinct
from the surrounding stars, the nearest bright
one being Regulus ia the handle of the Sickle.
Saturn in opposition four years ago was then
seen under the most favorable conditions posi-
Bile, 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 fav-
orable circumstances, at which time there will
be recurrence of the same conditions
Mars, the third OF the evening stars, setting
shortly after o'clock in the evening. offers but
little that Is of particular interest. Next year,
however, Mars viii be of much more import
ance, as he viii be in opposition. He is now
moving northward and eastward. but is SO far
away that he is not easily found.
Uranus now rises about pm, setting at SIG
am, and is not very far from the bright star
Spica, of the first magnitude. This planet will
soon be near enough to be visible without the
aid OF Vlescope or glasses.
Neptune closes the hist of planets, but he re-
mains so very distant that he cannot be found
without artificial aid. He is in conjunction
with the moon on the 9TH, being on that day
two deg. twenty min. north of our satellite.
Neptune sets a little after midnight at the be-
ginning Of the month, and is to be found in the
constellation of Taurus.