The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-11-01
4 NOyTH FORSTAR GAZERS.
GOTcmber'S Skies the Most Brilliant
Of the Year.

sbv Mercury to Yield a Glimpse Of
His Majesty Next Week-Venus
Coming at the Earth at the Rate
of Twenty-Five Miles q Second The
Titan OF the Solar System in It's
Opposition, and at It's Best for
observation About the Middle of
the Month-Some Things About the
Giant Planet.
For those who love the silent majesty
nj the "star-lit night the November
skies will possess more than usual inter
est
Besides the advantages of the clear and
homogeneous atmosphere usual at this
season four of the most interesting plan
cts may be seen Gin their most favorable
POSITIONS for observation, and host of
bright consultations of fixed stars will
elicit our admiration and study.
On the evening of the 18th theplanet Mer-
cury will attain its greatest eastern elonga-
ton, and for several days before and after
thai date a sharp eye may catch glimpses
OF this shy member of the solar system a
few degrees above the western horizon at
dusk a little to the south of the suns
track.
The extreme southern declination of
Mercury at this season and its position in
its orbit will render the planet visible for
only a few days. Mercury shines with a
bright white light as a star of the first
magnitude. and in our latitude it may be
easily seen if the observer knows Just
when and where to look but many as
tronomers of southern Europe have ex-
pressed regret at not having been able to
see it in all their lives
VENUS.
The brightest star in the west at dark
is the planet Venus now moving almost
directly towards us at the rate of twenty
two miles per second. In the telescope
Venus now appears like a half moon,
and while the visible disk will be-
come more and more a crescent,
as it approaches US its apparent brilliancy
will continue to increase by reason of this
proximity, till about five weeks before its
inferior conjunction. Venus will be al
most stationary this month, moving east
ward very slowly, till Dec. g. 1t will be
remembered that the ancient Greeks gave
two names to this planet. When evening
star they called it Hesperus; and when
morning star, Phosphorus. They con
sidered each a separate star. Venus is
1900 miles in diameter, and revolves
l4OuIlh IIlC oull ia 80 III D
MARS.
Mars is now morning star, and almost
on the opposite side OF the sun from us.
hence it cannot be observed with salts
faction for several months yet.
JUPITER
On the 18th this Sitan of the solar sys-
TEN comes to its opposition, and hence at
that time it is nearest to us and in the
host oh
be seen in the east at S o'clock, blazing
with sp!endor just below the Pleiades in
the constellation Taurus. Jupiter is
nearly l 400 times as large as our earth, and
IS attended by live moons, four Of which
may be easily seen in a small telescope.
ii revolves around the sun in about twelve
years, and rOtates on its axis in about ten
hours. The telescope shows its disk to be
traversed by parallel belts resembling
clouds, though, indeed to be clouds
formed by the connective currents
of its atmosphere. There is good
reason for thinking that the great
mass of the planet is still quite hot, in
deed, slightly incandescent. 1t is not
probable then that Jupiter is inhabited,
but 1T seems to be in preparatory stage,
which, in the ages to come, may render it
vast theater Of vital activity.
SATURN AND URANUS.
BOkn UneSe planets are on the opposite
side of the sun from US now, and hence
they cannot be obs we'd with satisfac-
ton.
NEPTUNE.
While Neptune will not come to its op-
position till early in December. still its
position is now very favora bic, and good
glass may easily pick it up" about six
degrees to the northeast of Aldebaran
the bright red star in the Hyades just
below Jupiter.
THE CONSULTATIONS AND THE FIXED
STARS.
In the north Cassiopeia is above, and
to the east OF Polaris. Ursa Major be-
low, Perseus to the east, and Andromeda
nearly overhead. In the northeast,
Auriga, with the bright star Capella, is
well up; and in the northwest, high over
head, shines Vega in Lyra Along the
ecliptic Sagittarius is near the western
horizon, Aquarius and Pisces near the
meridian, Aries to the east, and Taurus
Just rising. Below Taurus, Orion with
its rich array of worlds rises soon after
dark. In all this quarter of the sky the
telescope reveals a wealth of celestial
wonders which fill our minds with admi-
ration and awe. OTIS AsHMORE.