The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-02
GROUPING OF The PLANETS.
They Present an Unusual ATIaisnment
This Month.

Mercury, Venus, Saturn and Uranus OF
One Side OF the Sun and Mars, Jupiter
and Neptune on the Other-Where tc
Lock for Them The Constellation
and Fixed stars-Encke's Comet Trott
ing Along and win Be Here in Feb
ruary.
The planets for this month present quite
an unusual grouping; Mercury. Venus.
Saturn and Uranus being on one side Of
the sun. and the earth. Mars, Jupiter and
Neptune on the other. on the 10th Of No
vember Mercury made the transit across
the suns disk in accordance with the pre-
dicuons made in these columns some time
ago. and very satisfactory observations
Of the interesting phenomenon were OBJ
tanned in nearly every portion Of this
country. This planet is now between its
greatest western elongation and its super
Tor conjunction, and hence it cannot be
observed with satisfaction now.
Venus is now directly on the opposite
aide Of the sun from US. having passed its
will appear as evening star, and for sew
eral months it Will be seen 10 rise higher
and higher in the west after sunset.
High up in the east at dark Mars may
be seen as a star of the first magnitude,
shining with a bright, rudy light. Though
Mars is still in a good position for ooserva-
ton it is gradually tagging behind the
earth in its orbit, and its distance from
US IS now rapidly increasing. For several
months IL will be prominent in the sky.
Below Mars and farther TO the northeast
may be seen a large bright star, more brill
liant even than Mars itself. This is the
planet Jupiter, now the most interesting
of all our celestial neighbors. On the 22d
Jupiter will be in opposition, and at that
time nearest to us. 1t rises on the list at
SIS o'clock about % degrees north of the
east point Of the horizon. This Titan Of
the solar system Is more than ] 800 times
as large as the earth and has revolving
around 1t FIVE moons, four OF which may
be seen with telescope Of moderate
power. A good opera glass, indeed viii
show one or more Of these moons when the
air is clear and the planet is high above
the horizon.
Jupiter revolves around the sun in 11.s5
years at a distance Of 4s3, 800, 600 miles. 1t
rotates upon its axis in nine hours and
fifty-iive minutes, and Is sensibly fiattened
at the poles The eclipses and transits of
its moons which occur daily are very in
teresting features Of the Jovian scenery.
Saturn and Uranus are nearly on the
opposite side of the sun from us now and
hence they cannot be seen 70 advantage.
Neptune is never visible to the naked
eye, but small telescope will reveal IL II
the observer knows Just where to look
Nm he Will ha i'm
nearest TO us. On the 1st its right as
cension is four hours, fifty-three minutes,
and its declination p degrees 2 minutes
north. It is about eight degrees northeast
of Aldebaran, the large red star In the
N-shaped group of the Hyades, well up in
the east at o'clock. Neptune is eighty
five times as large as the earth, and it's
year is equal to 165 of ours. 1t is the most
distant OF all the planets, being now 2,700,-
Co., 900 miles from us. This distance could
be passed over by an express train in
about 1900 years.
In the north Assiopeia is above Polaris
and Ursa Major below. Perseus, with the
wonderful variable Algol is east of Cas-
siopeia. About midway between Cassio-
peia and Perseus is a beautiful star
cluster scarcely visible 10 the naked eye,
but which the telescope resolves into a
star-cluster of various colors and Of great
beauty. In the east Orion with its wealth
OF WORLDS IS rising. Inc three stars lOfn-
ing a line about three degrees long con-
stitutes a groupe known as the belt Of
Orion" or the Ell and yard" 1t is also
called the astronomers yard-stick. To
the right and little below this group Is
line of three faint stars pointing to the
middle Of the belt" The middle one of
these faint stars is the nucleus of the
great nebula in orion Justly considered
the grandest marvel Of the heavens. An
other Of these celebrated nebula is in the
constellation Andromeda, now directly
overhead soon after dark. 1t is family
visible to the naked eye. Below orion
Sirius bazes, the brightest of the fixed
stars. Many of the ancient Egyptians
temples were orientated to this star, and
through the dimest religious traditions of
antiquity may be traced the wonderful
influences Of this star upon the religious
beliefs Of the earliest peoples.
Eneke's comet is due to pass it's perihe-
lion early in February, and it should soon
make its appearance in the northeast. 1t
is rarely visible TO the naked eye, but its
favorable position at this return may en-
able us 10 Sc IT family on a dark night.
1t is very small, and has a period Of 8 S0l
years Otis Ashmore