Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-02

Brilliant Display to Be Made by the Plan
cts This Month";

The New York Times says: The increase in
the length Of the day now begins to be percepti-
Die to even the most unobserving persons. Al
though February has only twenty nine days to
the thlrty-one OF January the daylight period
increases with much greater rapidly. as the
sun moves through four degrees more of
decilnation on its way to the equator. When
the month closes it will be found that nature is
shaking OFF her lethargy and that her forces are
stirring beneath the soil. and soon after there
VIII be glimpses of vegetable life.
The February moon fuls on the 18th The
growing crescent. two days after quartering, is
III conjunction with Neptune on the 9th, but as
almost three degrees separate the two the meet
ing j. not one for particular attention. Saturn
and the moon are i'll conjunction three days
after the Tui, but the brightness of Luna de-
tracts considerably from the spectacular effect.
Two days before her last quarter the waning
moon encounters Uranus on the 18TH and if
one were permitted to See the planet in all its
glory with unaided vision one should have a
pleasing picture. as the two are less than a de-
gree apart Mars and then Mercury receive
visits IL turn. the former on the 22d and the
latter the day of the new moon, ON the 9th
The conJunctions for the month are closed by
The moon drawing near to Jupiter on the 28th
IT Will no doubt be observed that the moon and
the fairest of the planets have made no appoint
ment for February
Although the moon does not devote much
attention to Venus the latter is by no means
snghted, for early on the morning of the 5th
she and Jupiter are i'll conjunction and the
event that has been promised as one of the
most important of the year. far celestial
tabieaus are concerned, will take place the
evening before, when the two will be very close
together. From what has from time to time
been said attention must have been for the past
lew weeks bestowed upon the two brilliant
planets gradually drawing nearer to each other
Neptune Is also evening star and is in good
position for telescope observation on account
Of his high meridian altitude He is still wan
derinS along in the constellation of the Bull.
becomes stationary on the 18th, and will then
from Aldebaran. the bright star that serves to
indicate his whereabouts in declination. the
right ascension Of the two will be alike toward
the close OF March. at which time the planet
will be degrees north Of the star.
Saturn is already becoming more and more
conspicuous and interesting, as he rises, almost
due east, about 10 o'clock in the evening, at
which time his serene light is easily distinguish
able, as there are but few brilliants in his i'm
mediate neighborhood.
Uranus is morning star and is in conjunction
with the growing crescent OF the moon on the
18th.
Mercury, having reached his greatest western
elonga ton on January ~. began his backward
journey toward the sun and is already SO DIM
med by the giinting light as it ripples in tow-
Ing streams of radiance that one can no longer
see him. 1t will be some months before he is
again visible and meanwhile he will have
passed from morning 10 an evening star
Mars is one of the morning stars and is Just
now one OF the least important members of the
solar family, as he is small in size and shines
with but faint luster,