Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-29
STARRY SKIES OF WINTER.
Movements of the Planets During Jana-
airy.

From the New York Times.
The sun rises on New Years day about 715
and sets about 4s30, which makes the day
almost nine and q quarter hours in length. The
increase in the length of the day for the month
will be fifty minutes, and at the months close
we shall have almost an hour of daylight added
TO the shortest day Of the year at the winter
solstice. The suns declination is still far down
in the southern section of the heavens, but his
speed is an accelerating one, being more than
three times as rapid when February oponsas it
now is. During the year there will be an an
nular eclipse Of the sun in June and partial
eclipse in November, neither Of which will be
visible in our latitude.
The old moon is in the phase Of last quarter
on the I'D, the January moon not making it's
appearance until the 10th, when IL is almost at
The moon quarters on the 10th and becomes
full on January "a.
Owing to the great difference in declination
between the moon and the various planets
there are no very striking meetings for the
month. although against the deep blue back
ground Of the clear winter sky the brillianey
OF the moon and the principal stars offers q
picture well worth admiration. The first con-
junction is with Mercury on the 10th, but as
this is the day of new moon We can see neither
next visit the 18th, but the difference of four
degrees in declination separating the two spoils
the tableau. Mars comes next, on the l4th,
but here there is a still wider separation. On
the 21th the last conjunction of the month oc-
ours, with Saturn, three days after the full of
the moon. the separation being the same as in
the case of Jupiter.
During the year there will be two total
ecllpses OF the moon, one in May and the other
in November. to be seen generally in Europe.
M Afrtc l,.1tt inn Ia 10,
Jupiter liz still evening star but he will soon
lose himself in the suns light, and when next
he appears it will be as morning star. so that
| our chance to see the prince Of planets is a
gradually decreasing one as on February IS he
has the same right ascension the sun. He
Will be greatly missed. as he has SO long been
such superb object and SO very prominent
among the planets that nothing can ct present
replace him.
Venus is out of the race. Mars is getting
DINNER and DINNER. and Saturn, although
gradually getting higher and higher in the
eastern skies, does not attempt to fill the place
that Jupiter occupied. One consolation is that
the diameter of the planet is at present de-
creasing. but when he next greets our view he
will be larger and brighter than he is now, that
he Is about to disappear, when we can count
once more on his being "a lamp dispellins irk-.
some night" 49,.
Mars is getting SO very small and his brilliant
companion has drawn SO far away from him
u
most entirely gone. and we can only distinguish
MN by the peculiar reddish tinge that he al
ways has. He is still an evening star and al
though OF little moment to the amateur he is
source OF theory and speculation to the scien-
lists who see on his surface network of lines
connecting sea with sea. a. well rs snow and ice
and the still more wonderful canals.
Neptune Is evening star and although in n
fine position for telescope observation being
SO high in altitude when he comes to our me-
rlfi IN Ec1 h., NJ
one can only find him by first picking out Aide
baran, which Is no very difficult task. as he
comes climbing high up in the east soon after
dark and then looks about four degrees or about
eight times the width of the full moon. to the
north and west. When found it might be as
well to make note of it for future reference
Neptune sets about 4:30 in the morning with
the other stars of the constellation of Taurus.
About 10 o clock Saturnap appears above the east
ern horizon and. although technically morn
ing star. We have his soft light throughout the
remainder of the night as the most prominen5
of The planets. He is increasing in size and is
rising earlier and earlier each succeeding night
there being two hours difference in his time of
rising between the first and the last days of the
month, SO that he will be continually increas-
ing in interest.
Uranus Is also morning star. but he is in
The constellation of the Virgin and eight hours
behind Saturn, so that when the latter is de-
Ginning toward his point of setting the former
unusually good pair of eyes to pick out Uranus
even when aided by pair of opera glasses and
yet lac IL almost half the size Of Jupiter
Venus Is once more morning star and the
western skies no longer can rejoice a. her pres
ence: but the golden galaxy of the Opposite
section Of the heavens will contain the aueen
OF the planets n little after clock in the
morning, when there is still enungh darkness
left to cause he- wonderful b-i.li.ncy 10 be the
more apparent. She will rise earlier every
morning. shining with IL peerless luste- thu.
always makes her the most conspicuous of all
tne planets 1t seems very strange that this
planet takes 225 days 10 make one turn about
the sun. We know ourselves the difference in,
warmth between day and night and how large
a part the sun plays Ill the changing tempera-
tnre. 10 our minds it hardly seems possible
that the fair planet can Nc inhabited; but If it
should be the interest in ascertaining whaS kind
OF beings could exist IN eternal cold and darkness
VIII cause continuation OF the investigation
until the new theory is either proved or ex-
plOded.
Mercury Is evening star, and just Mt present
he Is vIsih!e TO the naked eve but vii only be
SO fayorably for Il few days II we look
little TO the right of the sunset point Just after
the sun has disappeared On clear night, we
can find him. but he also sets an hour aud
twenty minutes after the sun, so we can see
very little Of him. He is in the constellation
Ophluchus. which contains no very bright stars
to aid in distinguis hing the planet. which very
circumstance, however, renders Mercury all the
more conspicuous. \ transit Of Mercury over
the sums disk on May 9. partly visible here,
Will form one Of the most interesting feature,
OF the year and will be eagerly watched BY pro-
fessional astronomers. but to the amateur there
Will be nothing worthy of particular attention
S-----
Minneapolis Thsater Burned.
The Bijou Theater of Minneapolis one of the