The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-07-31
The SKIES IN AUGUST.
When to Get the Best Glimpse Of
the Moon.
A Phenomenon That Our Local Astronomers
Are Likely to Miss-Jupitsr
and Saturn.
Written for THE MoRSISe CALI.

Venus will be at greatest briiiiaucy 10 =.
morning skies on August 10. and this o. ent,
with the single exception Of the oppcsiti0n
of Mars on the Sd, constitutes the only
item worth quoting from the list Of Plane
tary Consultations" given in the American
Ephemeris for each month. To be sure
Mercury will be at inferior conjunction on
the 25th, bur as nobody can see him at that
time the event IS lacking in popular interest.
During the drst week of August The in-
nermoSt planet may be seen for short time
each evening close to the western horizon.
But he must De looked for soon after sun
set due west. and II viii not take a very
high layer of og or mist IN the sunset sky
to spoil all p sjhle chance Of seeing Mer-
curry, the 1T lualer."
Venus is i the constellation "G9mini,"
and row rises at about clock ia the morn
Ing. The two lighl stars in this eoustelia-
ton, Castor and F0ilux, do not appear above
the eastern horizon until AZ hour iatsr,
when dawn is rapidly waking.
THE MOON AND JUPITER.
The moon is already at fr5t quarter vhen
the month opens. SO that from this time un-
til about the 9TH Of Angus is the best for a
telescope view On the 18th he moon and
Jupiter, on rising. will be exceedingly close
to each other Ia some parts ct the earth ga
occultation of that giant body BY the disk Of
our satellite will be observed, but we viii
probably miss every phase OF the phen0m-
enon. Perhaps some Of the bright young
men at the University of California may
take the time 20 compute this phenomenon
and tell US inst how much chance we have
OF seeing tie temperance. AT any rate,
the proximity OF the two objects win form
an interesting picture and the conjunction
should certainly have been Included among
the notable events given in my FIRST para
graph: The moon and planet will rise about
9:4O O'Clock "a that evening. All four Of the
Jovian safe iites will be visible al that time
ali very close u the pgiBsaTy.
Mars has already been discussed at such
length that I cannot consume luneh spaee
In repeating tue circumstances OF hiE .0p~
position" suffice q that the rudy planet
will then Be nearer 70 Us than AZ any time
within a spaee Of Is years. He viii 30
nearly q seconds OF are in diameter. and
the large telescopes Of The world will have
superb Opportunity for Studying his sur
face. The two tiny moons will be easy OBJ
Jects for the giant refractogs, and many
smaller instruments will shew them foE the
first time siace dlscoYery-fSTT.
THE KING OF PLANETS.
Jupiter, toe king OF plaGats snd shi9E
glory OF the telescope amateur viii rise on
August /, at half past 10 in the evening
at the Gloss of the mouth he viii appear
above the horizon as early as $3.50 P *, SO
that the whole night will be available for
his examination. Almost every night sOple
interesting phenomena of the satellites may
be observed. Since Jupiter Is now nearly in
"QuadTatuIe," the shadow OF the ball Is
cast out IN space we'll to the west Of the
planet, and therefore both the disappear
anc6 and temperance OF the satellites ua-
dergOing eclipse ia that shadow may be OBJ
served. That is OF the second and third
satellites; the FIRST is so close to the primary
that both phases OF al eclipse may never be
obtained. Well, on the same night that
Jupiter Is so near The moon a very interest
ing event wi II take place in the movements
of the second satellite. On The night OF
August 1918 at II b. "a min. of Pacific
standard time, satellite ii will disappear Ia
eclipse; at b, 80 min. A. NJ, it will reap
pear very close TO the disk OF Jupiter, but
the line of-shadow is so nearly In range with
the limb Of tie planet that about one minute
later. before It has entirely emerged from
Jupiter's shadow, tie ane satellite En- lie
occulted with the planet disk ans IS snfv
single example 81 tEe fQaug piess5sa
sights to be witnessed 81 those Mla hsve
| telescopes ana knew " aaf 81 DO aita taeTss
SATURN Is TOO aEA3s THE
Saturn is aigea
advantageous seel ard he aete.a#
| closer and closer very daT Net osFf4
| another year has been entered Re sae e5i~
| endar VIII any good views ~ Ehe rgpga6
| planet be permitted our observers
AND what is there Bow to sag ahbne be
staTsF Only this, that 10 search glroHaA tire
pages or the almanac is areded to feref stt the.r
relative positions Ihe August con fell atfaDa
SHINE now IL the heavens lust ther die
when this nation commenced te sxtst- and
with but the very siig htest shiFs.ng III eIaea
since that memorable aate aose four hun
Qredth anniversary thc HSuet Mars csgse
DRAFTED so 1ttingly this v6aT AE4.ar5ptvs