Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-09-06
STARS In SEPTEMBER
THE BRILLIANT PLANETS TO BE
SEEN IN The HEAVENS IN AUTUMN.
sene Facts About the Proximity Of Mara,
Popular Fcik-Lore--seientsfl Traits
Concernser This Month.

reaches Its fruition. The flowers take on
their deepest hues, the trees that bear
fruit are most heavily hmbed. and rich
harvosts reward the husbandman. Simple
existence. says the New York Times. is q
blessing in the charming days of autumn,
hlled with sunshine and pure dir, and IN
the pescefui autumn nights when the moon
foods the earth with snvery light and the
sans OF space shine in solitary splendor or
cluster together as they mako their stately
march over the spacious armament.
The suns defamation on the LIST IL s de-
greos2 minutes north. on the 30th II is 3
degrees minutes south, the autumnal
equinox. or the time when the sun changes
from north 10 south, declination having
interviewed on the 22d. The observer will
note the rapid progress OF the sur SOUTH
ward whom at or near the equinox in the
movement OF the sunrise and sunset points
southward and in the lesseninR meridian
altitude OF the sun, or. IN other words. of q
lessened height 70 which it climbs at mid
DAY.
The September fun moon is popularity
known rs the harvest moon, celestial
phenomenon that oil observers of the
times and seasons agree IN admiring as the
browning glory Of the autumnal evenings.
The average difference in the daily rising
and setting of the moon is about tfty-one
minutes. the same as that of her passage
over the meridian. The actual difference
IN the daily rising of the moon is, how
ever. subject 10 great variations on ac-
count of the moon's changes in declina-
ton and the inequalities of her motion in
right ascension. These variations attract
the most attention when they occur at the
time Of full moon. When the retardation
is the least possible the moon rises soon
after sunset Of nearly the same time
for several successive evenings. The moon
this year fulls on the 9Th a little more
than TWO weeks in advance of the equinox.
The full moon, as We know very we'll by
this time, is always opposite the sun, so
that the latter beng in the constellation
of the Virgin, we shall find the moon in the
group called Pisces. or the Fishes. In
olden times it was the belief that by di-
rect interposition of Divine Providence
the moon rose night after night at nearly
the sumo time during the season of har-
vest TO lengthen the dag and assist the
husbsndmen In garnering the fruits of the
earth. Men have grown wiser, so they
say, and clearly understand that harvest
moon is inevitable every year, and that 1T
has no connection with vegetation one
way or the other; but they reverently re-
tain the name made classic by the sacred
associations of the past.
IN CONJUNCTION
On the 4th. in the wee sma' hours OF
morning, Luna and the rudy planet are
in conjunction, and as they are separated
bv only three quarters OF degree we shall
have fine chance al them before bedtime
on the Sd. Two days after the full moon
and the giant planet almost touch each
other TO all appearances, but owing TO the
greater distance Jupiter Is from MS many
miles intervene between the two. The old
picture OF the crescent and the star will
not, however, be reproduced in this in
stance owing to the fact of the moons
disk being too nearly rounded out
to the full. Neptune next receives
his monthly visit, but there is too
much space between the two, even
when at their nearest, to interest US. The
waning crescent and the fairest Of the
planets are the next performers. but they
will attract but little attention beyond the
setting In which the picture Is placed.
Mercury and Saturn come in the order
named, hut the pale outline of the new
moon and the fact of Saturn being about
10 have a similar encounter with the sun,
prevent the meeting on the 21st being of
any consequence. That with Mercury oc-
ours so near the disappearance OF the old
moon that il, too, will not be OF moment.
On the Esd the moon closes her round
with en- exceedingly close visit in the di-
rection of Uranus. so very close that the
lacality of the planet is well defined by the
moons position.
MARS AND HIS MOONS.
The evening skies are graced by two
beautiful planets as well as by numbers OF
most brilliant stars. Mars has been most
prominent of all the heavenly bodies for
more than month. and astronomers are
still taking advantage of his nearness and
brilliancy to observe his disk and see II
something new about him and his Two
moons cannot be discovered. The wa"ilke
planet com5s 10 our meridian about 10
O'clock aud will arrive there earlier and
earlier as the month progresses. He has
already begun TO lose in both size and
brightness, facts that will become palmer
each succeeding night.
When on beautiful starry night we ex-
anime this world through the telescope,
when we see its polar SHOWS that melt in
the summer, its delightful and varied
geographical contiguratlOn, we cannot re-
IRAN from asking whether the sun that
lights this world AS 1t does our own shines
upon nothing living there; whether the
showers fertilize nothing; whether its
atmosphere is breathed by no living be-
ing, aud whether this world of Mars which
whirls with such rapidlty through space -
like @ railway train travelling empty,
without passengers and without merchan-
disc.
Considerable has been said about pro-
iects for communicating between the
planets and our own world. When the
time comes 20 put such projects into prac-
tice we shall find that il Will not be mat
ter of geometrical figures on small scale,
but that squares, circles, and triangles
will be perfectly huge in their proper
lions. We must also act on the hypo-
thesis. saws NJ Camille Flamarion, that the
planet is inbabited; that its Inhabitants
are versed in astronomy; that they have
optical instruments of sufficient power,
and that they observe our planet with
care-a planet which is TO them splendid
star of the first magnitude, the morning
or the evening star, and, III fact, the most
brilliant star in their sky.
JUPITER, A MORNING STAR.
Jupiter, plainly visible in the east in the
early morning. reaches the meridian IN the
morning some four hours or more after
Mars. His peculiar, position IN the heavens
causes him to be classed as morning star,
Int he is moving swiftly toward the point
in which he will be in opposition to tho
sun. after which he will be chief OF the
evening stars. We see him now, however,
throughout the evening, and the rudy
planet has been forced TO yield him
the first place of honor among
the starry wonders- we have a
fine opportunity for comparing the hight
power of these planets. Jupiter, when
brightest, gives out two and half times
more hight than Mars, owing. II is said, TO
the rejecting power Of tho clouds sur
rounding his disk. 1t is quite hard 20 re-
alize that the comparison in size between
the two is that of a marble TO pumpkin,
Jupiter being Represented by the latter.
On the 9th Jupiter and the moon are at
their closest for the month, the two being
but fifteen seconds of arc apart. The
planet has for the past two weeks been
reuograding or moving TO the westward
among the stars.
Venus rises at about 12:45 O'Clock In the
morning, in time TO adoIn the eastern
skies before Mars SINKS out OF sight IN the
west. and so continues until daylight the
lovely panorama which begins as the sun Is
setting. The gracious and graceful pres
ence OF the Queen OF the skies adds spe-
cial charm 70 the morning hours of the
early September days. she is equally
beautiful, whether she rises ahead OF the
san 10 herald approaching day or whether
she remains above the horizon after Old
Soils head has sunk from sight. Having
reached her most luminous point, she. too,
is withdrawing from our view and is al
ready less than half the size she was two
months AGO. On the 18th she reaches her