Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-02-02
THE FEBRUARY HEAVENS.
An Opportunlty to See the Zodlacsl Light
at It's sBest-ConIunctions of the Month.


To even the most casual Of observers 1t
is probably quite apparent that the suns
influence IL more powerful now than II was
in the earlier days of the year. \ length
ened daylight is also perceptlbe, says the
New York Times. as we have both an ear
lier sunrise and later sunset, which unite
in giving us almost an additional hOur OF
daylight. The speed of the sun as II moves
on its way toward the equator Is also IN
creased IN February over what II was III
January, southerly decllnatlon decreasing
nine degrees between now and the ISL OF
March.
Aside from the knowledge that We are
gradually being brought nearer the time
of bright blue skies and warmer weather.
the month of February has no very par
ticdlar interest to Us from an astronomer
staudpolnt. for, with the exception OF the
zodiacal light that about this time makes
Its appearance in the western horizon,
there are few features of attractiveness.
The peculiar pearly glow that Is some
times seen to spread over q part OF the
sky IN the vicinity OF the point "here the
sun has disappeared after sunset has been
named the zodiacal light. The same spec
taele NAV also be seen before sunrise. and
IL would seem rs II the material producing
this light, whatever 1t may be, had "a lens
shaped form, with the sun IN the centre.
Its nature Is matter OF CONJECTURE.
The Zodiacal light is seen TO best adYan-
tace IN February. March. and April. Inc
same phenomenon Is also visible IN the
eastern horizon before sunrise III SepteHl-
her. While its limits are by no means
vol defned. its base varies between ) and
30 degrees, and its apex reaches distance
of 80 TO 70 degrees from the sun, with very
ill-defned edges.
What could be more marvellous than the
closeness of spectrum ANALYSIS? To what
ever part Of the heavens we turn the tele-
scope. armed with this new addition 10
our senses we find the same chemical ele-
ments with which the present century mas
made US familiar upon the surface OF the
earth. From the distant worlds OF Arcturus
ami the Pleiades, whence the swift ray OF
light takes many years TO reach us, 1t
brings the story Of the hydrogen and Oxy-
pen. the vapor of iron or sodium, when set
il in motion.
SEVEN CoyJUNCTIONs.
There are seven conjunctions in which
tho moon and the planets figure IL the
events of February, two of which are ex-
ceedingly close, and, weather indications
proving favorable. will be attractive celes-
tial pictures. The series opens ON the 5th
with fairly closs meeting between tho
waning crescent and Saturn, but the hour
IA not a favorable one for the amateur as
tronomer. The day following the
phase OF last quarter Uranus and
the moon are at their closest tor
the month. On the 18th Venus and Luna
exchange compliments, followed by Mer-
curry about tour hours before the old moon
gives way to the new on the 10th. On the
10th We have the prize tableaux. in which
the father of men and gods will appear al
most enclosed in the arms OF our sateuite,
a mature we'll worth our standing out IN
the brisk. cool evening to watch.
The following evening Mars IS .oc-
Quilted. but as the planet is so much less
brilliant than Jupiter the impression
upon our senses will not equal that OF the
evening before. In the January meeting
| between the moon and these planets Mars
received the first visit, whereas this time
Jupiter is first. which shows US that the
| latter II now nearer the sun and has passed