Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-02
ran MARcn HEAVENS.


Moon md Easter.
The sun enters the sign Of Aries on the 10th,
says the New York Times, vernal equinox then
takes place, astronomical spring begins and az
the golden rays once more illuminate the north
pole the days and nights are equal all over the
globe. The equinoctial crosses the ecliptic
every year when the sun enters Aries. but not
at the same point. II retrogrades about dfty
seconds Of arc in q year and this complicated
movement is called the procession of the equi-
nox. This backward movement continues for
about $4,000 years, when q new cycle begins.
II the earth were perfect sphere there would
be no procession of the equinoxes. There il.
however, protuberance of matter at the equa-
tor. and the powerful influence of the sun and
moon acting upon this forces the earth to re-
spond to the attraction and causes a rolling or
wabbling motion of the pole of the earth
around the pole Of the ecliptic in q small circle
and with SO slow a motion that q revolution is
completed in about $1,000 years. The change
IN the polar star is another result of this move
ment. The present pole star will not hold that
uistinctlon 1000 Years hence. but will be re-
placed by the bright star Vega
Inc sun rises on the LIST about $50 and sets
shortly before 2, the day being one hour and q
quarter longer at the close Of the month than
at Its beginning. The March moon does not
come in until the 10th. Before the waning
moon takes its departure it is in opposition
with Jupiter, Venus and Mercury, but planet
s;id crescent are rather too far apart and the
meeting at too early period of the day for any
out the earliest risers to obtain a view. Mars
ana the young moon meet on the 18th, followed
TWO days later by conjunction with Neptune.
On the I'D the moon and Saturn come fairly
close to each other, but the disk of satellite
Is TOO well rounded to admit Of Saturns light
being seen to advantage.
4, one OF the most important events, as far as
dne church calendar is concerned, occurs on the
Zotn, when the moon fulls The Sunday fol-
lowing this full moon is Easter Sunday, from
which the date Of Ash Wednesday and other
church days are reekoned. Conjunction with
Uranus on the 27th closes the lunar events for
the month.
venus is morning star. and Is during tho
honth peerless among the planets. She is APP
proaching the sun now, and will be twenty
minutes nearer that luminary when the month
closes than she is today.
Jupiter is also morning star, but Just at
present ne Is not very brilliant. He has hardly
emerged sufficiently from the suns rays to
admit OF our seeing him. as he rises only half
On hoIr ahead Of the sun. He is, however,
gradually widening the distance. and at the end
OF the month will be up one hour and half
before sunrise. and his size is gradually
increasing he will be beautiful object some
i''ie time before morn begins cleaning in the
east. Jupiter is moving rapidly to the west
moves TO the eastward and the two are also
getting closer together in defamation Venus
moving north with greater rapidity than Jupi-
ter SO that early in April shere will be a rare
treat AFFORDED us, as the two brightest planets
VIII be IN conjunction. It will be we'll worth
the sacrifice OF portion OF the morning nap to
take peep at the sky at the time of the event
as the conditions are much more favorable than
Is usually the case.
Saturn is morning star until the 4th, when he
reaches point ~ degrees from the sun. or
what IL known rs opposition. which. on account
OF lts being the most favorable for observation.
Is the one In which astronomers like best to
catch him.
Mars Is evening star and careful observers.
VINO nave followed his course and noticed his
gradual reduction in size and appearance from
the merry red and very bright planet to the
very modest proportions he has attained. will
probably have but little difficulty in picking
MN out, as his rudy glow has not entirely
Iaueu Out ana he remains above the horiz on
almost three hours after sunset
mercury Is morning star until the 23d when
II Is IN superior conjunction with the sun and
become again an evening star. He is now too
close to the sun to be seen with unaided vision
Neptune Is evening star and we can get a
very falr Idea of his whereabouts if we look
midway ON line extending from the bright
star Aldebaran, in the eve of the Bull being
pursued by Orion. tc the Pleiades. The moon
on the 18th viii also serve to mark the position
OF the planet, as the two heavenly bodies are
at their closest for the month on that date.
Neptune and Mars share the honor of being
the only two evening stars the month opens
Uranus rises about 945 O'Clock in the ever
ing, but his position is such that he is astro-
nomicaliy speaking, morning star