Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-01-06
THE MONTHS PLANETS.

THE MONTHS PLANETS.
The Skies In JanuarJ-Hints for
Amateur Star Gazers-Much of In
terest to Astronomers During the
Present Month.
There is much of interest to astrono-
mers in the stellar world during the month
of January. During this period the moon,
which takes prominent part in the Incl
dents, is seen in full twice. She ocoults
Saturn. Uranus and Jupiter in turn for
observers in some part of the earth, and
makes an appulse with the same planets
for larger circle of observers. Mercury
is visible as morning star and Venus is
guide to point out his position. Mars, the
companion of Jupiter, passes him on the
celestial road.
The stars that shine in the January sky
when the center of Orion is on the meri-
dian are more gorgeous than those Of any
other month in the year. Two constella-
tons take precedence for the grandeur and
magnifcence with which they irradiate the
celestial expanse. They are the Great
Bear, familiarly known as the Dipper. and
Orion. The one is always visible in this
latitude, its pointers marking with un-
swerving accuracy the position of the polar
star.
Five of its seven chief brilliants are
recediDg from the earth with velocity of
twenty miles second, two are approach
ing us, SO that in about 1900 years the
present form Of the constellation will be
changed, and the observers of those days
will no longer see the Dipper as 1t now
appears. The other, visible to all the
| world, treads the equator with its starry
feet and is superb with its leading brill
isnts, it's shining belt, it's glittering
/ sword and it's great nebule. These con-
| stellstions and many others have been ad-
| mired ever since men began to consider
| the heavens.
The earth is at this time 5000, 900 miles
| nearer the sun than when in aphelion, OF
her most distant point from the sun, which
position she will reach on July 3. The
result Is that when the earth is at this
point of her orbit the SUMS diameter is
the greatest, the earth moves the fastest,
and her nearness to the sun tempers the
severity of the winter. The SUMS diane
| ter is measured and calculated for every
l day of the year, and when nearest the
earth the increase in the diameter is about
3 per cent. The diameter is now 80 min
utes and 81 seconds, while at it's smallest
it measures 81 minutes 80 seconds. While
this variation is too small to be detected
| without telescope, it is sufficient to rep
resent the difference of 5000, 900 miles.
The earth moves fastest at perihelion,
| for the suns attraction is then strongest
and the greater the attraction the faster
she moves. Consequently the northern
winter, counting from autumnal equinox
to vernal equinox, is seven days shorter
than the northern summer. 1t will, Of
course, be understood that this is the con
dition in our hemisphere, while at the
southern half of the globe it is reversed
This naturally makes the temperature o.
Australia and southern Africa higher thar
in corresponding ATTITUDES north of tn,
equator. Whereas the southern summer il
hotter and seven days shorter, the winte,
is both longer and colder.
The perihelion and alphelion points d.
not recur at exactly the same position escf
year in the earth's orbit, but are slowl,
and steadily moving east ward. A complete
Interchange will take place in about 10 sol
years. The northern hemisphere will the1
have its winter when the earth is furthes
from the sun, and it's summer when it i
| nearest.
These so called secular changes ar
caused by the varying attractions of tn
1 oUuol p1hACLS uHOu tuC thEtu, 6BptCldlI
Venus and Jupiter, 80 that according a
they pull together or in opposite direction
the esrth's orbit is rounded into circle O
drawn out into a more eccentric eclipse +
the extent of a few thousand miles, tn
. | changes requiring vast intervals of time
the moon, too, comes in with her powe
of attraction, making the earth oscillat
each month few hundred miles above an
! below the plane of the elliptic
1t Is somewhat unusual to find but tw
eclipses for the present year. Such il
o | however, the case, there being tot.
eclipse of the sun in April and an snnuls
: eclipse of the same body in October.
y will bs observed that the moon does NJ
S become eclipsed during 1893 Almanac
2 are able to give full particulars of eclipse
and to predict when they are to occu
Eclipses occurring this year have no vel
obvious relation to the eolipses that toe
q place last year or to those that will occI
II next year. Yet, when we take more e.
tended view of the sequence of eclipses,
+ very definite principle becomes NANTES
it If, for example. we observe all the eclips
0 of the moon in a period Of eighteen
>, eclipses for a long time. 1t is only nece
sary to recollect that in 6,5954 days aft
a one eclipse nearly similar eclipse will fc
d low.
. January contains five phases of the moo
as it begins early to morrow morning wit
o full moon, and the same phase Is repea
| ed on the last day of the month. The fir
IS | oDjunction between the waning moon al
g Saturn will take place on the 9th qui
, early in the morning, and the meeting wi
he very close one and will be we'll wor
n look. Uranus receives the next visit, fc
q lowed by Venus on the 18th and Mercu1
: the morning following Mars and tt
- growing crescent come in their close
monthly proximity on the 23d, and befo
the curtain is rung down on this tables
:, we are offered the most striking feature
- the month, as Luna and Jupiter come t
~ gether shortly after old Sol has sunk to b
=. rest in the west. The disk of the moo
% will be lessthsn one half full and the plan
:, - will be gloriously brilliant, so that throue
:. the sharp, crisp winters atmosphere Y
n shall have one of natures finest present
y tions. On the 9th Neptune and the moe
;. are in conjunction, which closes the seri
= for January without adding at all to tt
e interest or picturesqueness.
Saturn has now arrived at a point
, degrees distant from the sun, or, as it
,. astronomically termed, is in qusdratur
- He is morning star, and is passing G
- toward his opposition with the sun, whic
', will take place in the latter part of Marcl
:. Saturn Is increasing in size and in bri
. liancy, and will continue so to do IN,
g the time of his opposition, after which
- grows smaller until he reaches his smalle
. . size for the year in October. At prese,
Saturn is in the constellation of the vi
gin.
:, Jupiter continues in his attractive 70
n. and is far and beyond the most conepicl
;, GUS of the evening stars, in spite of tt
fact of there being such a large number
first magnitude twinklers in plain sigh
Jupiter and the sun are in quadrature Q
the 9th, but the planet, being an evenin
/ star, Is on the opposite side of the sun t
/, that on which Saturn is to be found, tt
l. two planets being now about lively
:, hours apart in their journeyings aroun
Il the skies. The conjunction on the %
with the moon, already referred to, wi
q bs sight worth watching for, as Il
3 setting of gems surrounding the tH
brillants serves but to enhance their da
cling luster. Jupiter, while still SOM
what smaller in size than we have ha
him or shall have him lister in the yea
/ remains of wondrous beauty to grace tt
n evening sky until April, when he draw
Q near the sun and finally reaches the pos
9 rion of conjunction, from which he wi
q | emerge as morning star to Gradual