The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-07-02
GROUPING OF THE PLANETS
Nearly All On The Same Side Of The
Solar System This Month.

Mercury In a Most Favorable Position
For observation-venus May Be
Seen Only a Few Minutes at Time.
The Earth Hustling Away From Sat
urn at the Rate of 10000 Miles an
Hour.
The planets this month present q very
unusual grouping, all being on the same
side of the solar system except Jupiter
and Neptune
Swiftfooted Mercury is now evening
star and in d most favorable position for
observatiOn Owing to its proximity to
the sun and to the great eccentricity of
its orbit Mercury is rarely seen, and
more rarely recognized by the ordinary
observer when seen. 1t passes Its de-
scending node on the sth, attains its
greatest eastern elongation on the 18th,
and is in apheliOn on the 10th. Its decli-
nation on the 10Th, is 1923 north. From
the 10Th, to the Goth, the planet may east
ly be seen in the west at dark about 25o
east of the sun and little to the south.
1t shines as a star of the first magnitude
with clear white light The observer
win not again have such good opportun-
ity for seeing Mercury for more than a
year.
VENUS.
Peeping above the western horizon at
dusk the bright rays of this respondent
planet may be seen about 49, directly
east of the sun. II is visible only a few
minutes but 1t is rising every evening
higher and higher as it approaches US and
increases in brilliancy. This planet will
soon be very conspicuous object in the
evening sky.
. Mars is evening star, but it is so near
the horizon at dark that it is difficult to
recognize it. 1t is passing out of view be-
hind the sun. On the 9th Mars will be
only IS minutes south of Venus. If the
skies be clear the close observer may see
this interesting conjunction at dusk.
JUPITER.
Jupiter is now morning star, and the
early riser may see it well up in the east
at day-break and shining with a dazzling
white light. 1t rises about o'clock We
are slowly approaching this interesting
world, but not until November will we be
in the best position for observing it.
SATURN.
In the southwest at dark three stars
may be seen nearly in a line and about
three degrees apart. The middle one is
Saturn and the brightest of the three.
This planet is now slowly moving east
ward, and it will be interesting to watch
II approach nearer and nearer Gamma
Virgins, the star to the east of it. We
are receding from Saturn now at the rate
of about $4,000 miles an hour.
URANUS.
Uranus crosses the meridian at 7-98 o.
m, and it is in good position for obser-
walton. It's right ascension is IA hours |
Is minutes and its declinatiOn 13% 90 south. |
II can scarcely be seen by the naked eve
though its diameter is, 80, 900 miles A |
good opera glass, however, will reveal it.
To find it, first locate Spica the bright |
star in Virgo, then Alpha Librae a third |
magnitude star about halfway between |
Spica aud Antares in Scorpio towards the !
east. Draw alne from Alpha Iihrae to
Spica, and on this line about one-third |
the distance from the former star Uranus
may be seen shining with greenish
light.
NEPTUNE.
This far-off world is now morning star.
but its position is very unfavOrable for !
observation. 1t is never visible to the
naked eye.
THE CONTRADICTIONS AND THE FIXED STARS |
Draco and Ursa Minor are above Po- |
laris, Ursa Major is above and to the |
west, while Cepheus and CaSsiopeia are |
east of the pole. In the east the Dolphin |
(Job's Cofin) is we'll up, and midway to |
the meridian is Cygnus. Overhead is |
Bootes with Arcturus blazing with red |
light. Libra is past the Meridian, and |
Leo is far down near the western horizon.
In the southeast Scorpio with its brilliant |
array Of 5 tars may be seen sweeping the |
horizon with its long tail. Half way to
the zenith in the east is the Eagle with the
bright star Affair between two smaller
stars. Directly overhead is the beautiful
circlet of the Northern Crown, opening to- |
ward the pole In the northeast Vega in
Lyra dominates the entire region with
its dazzling blue light. Many beautiful
clusters and double stars are visible here.
Nearly overhead, between Lyra and the
Crown, is Hercules. This is the quarter
Of the heavens towards which our entire
solar system is drifting at the rate of one
hundred and fifty million miles a year
Astronomers have not been able to dis
tinguish the path of this sun-drift from a
straight line, but both reason and analogy
indicate comic section. Then what must
be the centre of this gigantic curve, whose
sweep involves countless cons OF time, and
distances utterly incomprehensible to us.
I'M A