The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-31
STARS OF COMING NIGHTS
MARS WILL SOON BE WELL
SITUATED FOR OBSERVATION.

On Next Thursday Night it wiz Be
Nearest the Earth-Brlght Venus the
Morning Star of the Month-Prof.
Otis Ashmores Interesting Astro-
nomical Forecasts for August.
Full moon will occur on the sth, and new
moon on the 22d. She will be in perigee. or
nearest the earth, on the 18th, and in
apogee, or farthest from the earth, on the
9th. She will be lowest or farthest south
on the 4th, and highest or farthest north on
the 18th. Her conjunetions with the plan
cts will occur as follows: On the 7th the
moon will be L SO north of Mars; on the
18th, o. q north of Jupiter; on the 18th, 40
s north Of Neptune; on the 18th, 81 45
north Of Venus; on the 22d, O. Sc north of
Mercury, on the oath, 10 80 north of
Saturn, and on the 9th. IL IL north of
Uranus.
MERCURY.
This planet will be in aphelion on the LIST,
and stationary on the 18th. 1t may be seen
during the first few days of the month in
the western sky soon after sunset about l q
hours behind the sun. Mercury Is now APP
preaching US at the enormous rate OF thirty
miles per second aud will soon pass out OF
view.
Venus Is now morning star, having passed
its inferior conjunction on July 9th. AS yet
it is too close TO the sun to be seen with ease,
but in few weeks it will have advanced so
far ahead of the sun as to be the most
splendid object In the morning sky.
MARS.
On the 4th this planet will be in opposi-
ton 20 the sun and nearest the earth. Its
distance will then be about 1000, 900 miles.
and az at the same time it's full Illuminated
side will be turned toward us, it will be in
a most favorable position for observation.
The peculiar shapes and relative positions
of the orbit of Mars and tina earth just at
this time render the conditions for obser wing
this interesting member OF our system more
favorable than they have been for many
years. Astronomers, therefore, will take
| advantage of this rare opportunity to scan
the planet with all the fine instruments OF
modern astronomical science. Mars is
about 4, 200 miles in diameter and revolves
around the sun in 6S7 days at mean dis
lance of 141 ,000, 900 miles from this great
| center of attraction. It rotates upon
it's axis in twenty-four hours thirty-seven
minutes, making Its day only thirty-seven
MINUTES longer than our own. The inclfna-
ton Of it's axis to its orbit is nearly the same
as that OF our earth, and hence its seasons
| are very similar to ours. The telescope re-
veals certain curious markings upon its SUR
| face which have been attributed to land and
| water masses, snow, clouds, etc. With US
| the land masses are large and triangular in
shape; on Mars the land masses consist of
long, narrow strips of land, with narrow
channels Of water separating them. The
| poler regions are often observed to be white.
| and these white zones increase or
| diminish in size as the pole is turned from
the sun, as in winter, or toward 1t, as in
summer. There Is but little doubt that
this is snow. Mars is surrounded by a
| moderately dense atmosphere, in which
clouds float The Availability of Mars is
still an undetermined question, but 1t seems
| that all the conditions Of life exist upon
the planet. and by analogy it is difficult for
US to escape the conclusion that some form
of life is in existence there. The fiery FED
color Of Mars is thought to he due to the
color OF the soil or the color Of the vegeka-
ton. Mars has two very small mooQs,
whose diameters are probably less than If
teen miles.
This giant Of the solar system is now
| morning star and crosses the meridian
about O'CLOCK. To observe it it will be
| necessary to rise quite early, but telescope
| of moderate power will reveal its four
moons revolving around 1t with beautif ul
| precision. IN a Few more weeks we Will
| have a much better view OF this interesting
| planet.
| 6ArURN.
| Saturn Is now far down in the west at
sunset and almost on the opposite side of
the sun from US, and hence it Is not in a
favorable position for observation. On the
| afternoon OF the oath the moon will pass 10
| 10 to the north Of this planet. We must
| wait several months before we will again
! see Saturn under the best conditions.
URANUS AND NEPTUNE.
Both these planets being usually tele-
scopic are not OF much practical interest to
| the ordinary observer. Uranus Is on the
meridian about 8 o'clock in the evening and
Neptune about o'clock in the morning,
THE CoNsTELL ATOMS AND FIXED STARE.
In the north Draco and Ursa Minor are
| above Polaris. Cepheus is above and to the
east, Cassiopeia east, and Ursa Major west
In the northwest Perseusis just rising while
Andromeda aud Pegasus are faiRly up in the
| south. In the east AQuarius is risen, next
| Capricornus little higher up, then extend
| ing along the ecliptlo across 20 the west is
Sagittarius, Scorpio, Libra and Virgo
| Nearly overhead at dark is a beautiful
circles of stars called the Northern Crown,
and near by and little to the east is the
constellation Hercules, the point IN the
heavens toward which our sun with all its
planets is drifting at the rate OF $50 900, 900
miles year. The bright blue star a little
farther TO the sast is Vega in Lyrs. our pole
star Il, 900 years ago. OTIs AsHMoRE.