Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-01-18

/ While we can hardly as yet appre-
ciate the fact that the sun has turned
! the halfway post in the far southern
point OF MS career, before January ex-
| pireS we shall find our days over three
quarters Of an hour longer than they
/ We're at the winter SolStice The speed
Of the sun as it moves, along will be
more than three times its present
J velocity when the month closes. and
| we shall find the sunset point moving
! further and further TO the right on
each succeeding night.
AS the epoch for the year is twenty
three, We know that the moon is that
many days old today and that Il new
moon should come to greet Us before
the first week of the new year has
passed. ON the 9th this phase is
promised to us, and there will be
twelve others before the year closes.
This is the only phase of which we
shall have thirteen exhibitions for 1894.
the other three giving us but dozen
apiece.
On the 3D. the lunar conjunctions be-
gin, Mars and the moon being 1T their
closest for the month. january is not,
however, particularly prominent for
spectacular effects this year, for in all
the meetings between moon and plan
cts there is far too much space to make
them all an attraction. On the 9Th the
expiring crescent is in conjunction
with Mercury, while on the 10th Venus
has her turn. Jupiter finds the moon
about four degrees to the northwarG
on the 10th, and two days later Nep-
tune receives 4 visit, the distance Sepa-
rating the two being about six degrees.
On the 9th, six days after the full
moon has cast wide her lights and
shadows, she passes a little south Of
Saturn, and two days later she hob
nobs with Uranus, and ends the month
by having 4 second meeting with the
warrior planet.
Venus is fast approaching her time
of greatest brilliancy, and it is still the
most conspicuous object in the sky of
early evening, when the tremulous and
beautiful rays from the setting sun are
about melting into a dim grey. She
has, alas, already made considerable
movement toward the sun, and we
loneliness, rs she is in conjunction with
the sun about the middle of February,
and when we again see her it will lie
lis one Of the morning splendcrs that
herald in the light of day.
Jupiter is also quite in evidence at
sunset, but to see him we must be I'M
gallant enough for the moment to turn
our backs Upon the fair queen of the
sky. After Venus has disappeared,
Jupiter's rivals arc hardly to be called
by so distinguished a title, for while
Alpha Lyrae, AldeDaran and others
which are undoubtedly beautiful, they
are small and glittering diamonds, so
to speak, in comparison with the great
and grand opalescent sphere of Jupiter.
A monster globe of pearl 1t seems to
be, swimming in space.
Jupiter'S satellites are always of in
terest for both amateurs and profess
SIGNALS, and no opportunity should be
missed to take peep through a tele
scope and have a real good look at
these little moons. They are only lit
tie by comparison with the parent as
the diameter of some of them approach
eS twice that Of our moon. Former
graphic illustrations Of Jupiter and his
satellites will now undergo Il change,
as the discovery of the fifth satellite
will necessitate the addition of another
ring to represent its orbit. And, as
the newly-discovered moon is nearer
Jupiter than his sisters, it may posi-
bly, hereafter be known as No. 1, Jupi-
ter being so near the sun from May
until July, his moons will not be yisi-
BILE during that period of the year
Saturn is in QuadraJure on the 18th.
which shows on that day he will be
just 90 degrees away from the sun. He
comes to our meridian at o'clock in
the morning, and is gradually widen
ing his distance from the orb of the
day, but will not be in opposition until
toward the middle Of April, when he
will be at his largest for the year, and
a beautifully bright object to look upon,
as he comes above the eastern horizon
just as the sun has sunk below the
western.
Mars is one Of the morning stars, and
is also moving to the westward, away
from the sun. He is still quite small,
but is increasing in diameter, and in
October, when he reaches a point $50
degrees away from the sun, will be
five times his present size. He is twice
in conjunction with the moon, but
early rising for the special purpose Of
viewing these meetings is not urgently
recommended, as the planet is not con-
spicuous enough, and then, too, the dis
lance between the two bodies is too
great.
Mercury is now too close to the sun
for our natural vision to pick him out,
but he is one of the morning stars
and is drawing toward the sun, with
which he is in superior conjunction on
the Goth. After this event he becomes
an evening star and passes Venus on
her way by the sun to become the
queen of the morning.
Neptune is one of the eTening stars,
but, Notwithstanding his $4,000 miles
of diameter, he is so far away that we
cannot find b n without telescope aid
He is in the constellation of the Bull,
about degrees north of Jupiter,
which is in the same star group. Nep-
tunes right ascension is 4 hours 40
minutes II seconds, and his declina-
ton 20 degrees 81 minutes 1 second
north.
Uranus is gradually growing in size
and in May will reach position in the
!