The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-02-08
FEBRUARY HEAVENS.
Movements of Planets and Constella-
tons This Month.
Erom The Mem York lime.

months Of the year as far as weather cOndi-
tons are concerned, but the sun, moon and
stars carry out their programmes In spite
of lowering clouds and bowling storms that
at this season so frequently arise to mar the
beauty Of the celestial tableaux The num-
Der of visible planets during the early even
ing hours has appreciably lessened, one after
another having yielded TO the irresistible
attraction of the sun and been drawn within
the radius of his powerful light, until they
have grown DINNER and DINNER, and at
last disappeared from view for the time be-
ing, to reappear, however, as morning stars,
and again TO take up their never ending
wanderings across the heavenly vault
Jupiter, so long the most brilliant and
conspicuous of the starry hosts, who came
into view almost before the sun went down,
is fast nearing a crisis in his career. We
have seen him gradually growing DINNER
and remaining above the horizon a much
shorter time after sunset, until now he is
only fifty minutes behind the sun. This in
terval decreases three or four minutes
day until the 18th, when the two disappear
together, and we do not enjoy Jupiter
again as evening star until September.
Mars. whose@prominence.- was few
months ago largely due TO the good COM
pany in which he moved, when he and
Jupiter were attempting to pass each other.
has been constantly separating from the
giant planet until there are fully three
hours between the two. Owing to his NOV
ing away from the earth Mars hrilliancy
has considerably faded, his diameter being
only a little over five seconds and
a half of arc. He is movinA
to the northward in declination,
and is in the constellation of Cetus, not
very sfar from Omicion Ceti, one of the
most interesting of the stars. This star is
generally shown as a second-mRgnitude
twinkler, but it is in reality variable, as
for two months only does it attain this de-
gree Of brightness. For about fortnight
It shines as a star of the second magnitude
then, by degrees, it fades away, until at the
end Of three months it can hardly be seen.
After remaining about five months invisi-
BILE it gradually increases in brightness for
about three months, when it is again a
second~magnitude star.
Saturn rises about s O'Clock and comes to
our meridian about 2 o'clock in the morn
ing. Although astronomicGlly a morning
star, we have his soft light throughout the
greater portion of the night, and he is the
most prominent of the planets until Venus
appears above the eastern horizon. Saturn
is slowly increasing in size, and about the
middle of the month will have attained his
full growth for the year, after which he be-
gins growing smaller. the diminution con-
he once more begins to enlarge. He rises
earlier and earlier each succeeding night,
there being two hours difference of time
between the first and closing days of the
month. He is still in the zodiacal constella-
ton of the Lion, not far from the star
Regulus, which marks the handle of the
sickle and serves as guide to point out the
planet.
Mercury is also a morning star, and is
or. adn oil U tha haiv oh
one hour and half below the horizon
when the sun sets, period that is decreased
at the rate OF two minutes day through
out the month. Under no circumstances
can we hope for a glimpse OF this most
elusive of planets this month, as the sun
light is far too powerful to admit Of his be-
ing seen, and even at the time Of his con-
Junction with the waning moon Luna is
herself invisible. as she is about disappear.
ing from the celestian stage, TO reappear
robsd In a newer. fresher costume to play
her part in the tableaux for the month.
Uranus and Neptune are said to be such
wonderfully grand and mighty planets, that
| it is but an aggravation to think of them
shining only for the benefitsof the scientist,
| and that the ordinary mortal. whos at the
best, has not pair of binoculars for his as
Economical outfit, is denied chance Of see
| ing their fair faces. Whether they are
| morning or evening stars, whether rising or
| setting, we can only take the statements to
| that effect for granted, and content our-
| selves by approximating their whereabouts
| with the help OF some bright fixed star, or
| the moon when in conjunction with them.
| Like the other planets, these two revolve
sometimes in larger, then again in mar
rover ring, coming around at last, how
ever, to the same phase. Neptune and the
| moon hobnob together on the 10Th, and on
| the 22d the planet is in quadrature with the
sun, while Uranus meets the moon on the
| 9th, but waits until July before getting q
position 900 from the sun.
Last and most beautiful of all comes
Venus, rising some three hours before tIe
refulgent bsams of heavens great light
usher in the waking day, and shining with
| unsurpassed brilliancy, easily supreme
among the luminaries OF her locality. For
| eight months more none but the early birds
will catch glimpse Of this peerless orb in
| the full measure of her glory, as September
| will be half over before she will resume her
sway among the evening stars. The SUI
| premacy of Venus has always been ac-
knowledged, as. for example, in apportion-
| ing the various parts of the hand to the
| different planets. chiromancy gives the
| thumb to Venus-from which mankind is
| supposed to have derived the expression in
relation to getting the gentler sex under
his thumb"-while the forefinger goes to
Jupiter, the middle TO Saturn, the ring
finger to Sol, and the little one to Mercury
The sun rises to-day little after O'Clock
and sets about $40, making the day almost
ten hours and quarter in length, whereas
on the 2Sth of the month daylight has been
increased by one hour and six minutes. The
turning of the suns face in our direction at
| the winter solstice was not immediate in its
effects, but the higher altitude at noon and
the notwithstanding temperature will,
before the month has half passed, give rise
| to the familiar expression regarding the
spinal column of old Boreus having suffered
| a serious distortion. In February the speed
of the sun in declination is considerably
| accelerated over what it was last month, its
| southerly declination decreasing degrees in
the twenty eight days of this month,
whereas in January there were but degrees
| change.
The February moon is not ushered in
until the Sth, as the January moon is only
entering upon its phase of last quarter to-
day. "A week later, as she gradually works
her way to the eastward, she will be near
our meridian, and consequently bearing
| almost south as the sun goes down. On the
23d she and the sun have their monthly see
saw, Luna rising just as the sunlight begins
to fade in the western horizon. She will
then swing across the armament, looming
out gloriously among the consultations, re-
naming in view until daylight. The waning
moon is in conjunction with Venus on the
9Th and with Mercury on the 7th. The lat
ter we cannot see. but an unobstructed view
l.nff tna a