The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-06-01
NEARING The SOLSTICE.
The Sun to Cross The Line in Three
Weeks.

The Days to Grow Shorter After the
21st, as Old Sol Turns His Footsteps
to the South ard-Mercury the Star
of June-A Few Points on Uranus.
The sun will reach the summer solstice
at O'Clock on the morning of the 2lst,
after which the days will gradually grow
shorter as the sun turns once more on its
southwark journey.
EERCURY.
Mercury will attain its greatest east
ward elongation Of % IS on the 23rd.
Planets position in it's orbit will render
the observation Of it at this time very
favorable 1t may be seen Just at dark as
a star of the first magnitude in the west,
almost exactly in the suns tracks, about
one hour and fifty minutes behind the
luminary. Mercury is a very shy planet,
rarely showing his face so far above the
horizon, and this opportunity should be
seized upon to observe it.
VENUS.
Venus is sUill morning star. and the
early riser may see it shining very
brightly in the southeast at daybreak
The planet is near its aphelion, and its
motion is almost directly from US. 1t is
now approaching the sun.
MARS.
Higher than Venus and q little farther
south is Mars, shining with a blazing red
light as n star of the first magnitude. On
June II it will be in quadrature with the
sun. We are rapidly approaching this
planet, but not until October will we be
in the best position to observe it.
JUPITER.
This interesting planet with its moons
and belts is now completely obscured in
Ia hrl linz vnaN of % gT1T I
months must elapse before we may OBJ
serve this planet again with satisfaction.
SATURN.
Saturn crosses the meridian at s:3l
p. m, on the lst. 1t is the most con-
spicuous star overhead at that time, and
1t may be further recognized by its posi-
ton about five degrees north of Spica, the
large fixed star in Virgo. 1t is now in
fine position for observation, and a tele-
scope will reveal its rings well opened to
view and two or more OF it's eight moons
revolving around it. The planet is now
retrograding, but on the 22d it will be
stationary.
URANUS.
This planet, though sixty-five times the
size of the earth, is rarely if ever visible
to the naked eye. 1t is now in the best
position for observation, and a small tele-
scope or opera glass will reveal it if the
observer knows just where to look. To
locate it first find Saturn, then draw a
line from Saturn to Alpha Libre, a star
of the second magnitude about 239 to
the east. Uranus is situated on this line
about ~ or three diameters of the moon
from the latter star. 1t is quite near ana q
little below q small fixed ster from which
it may be distingued by a faint, greenish
light. Alpha Librse may be recognized
by its being double with its small com
panion just above it. Uranus was dis
covered by Herschel in 1881. 1t is 80, DOC
miles in diameter. and revolves around
the sun in eighty-four years at distance
of 1872 600, 900 miles II has four moons
whose motions are retrograde, that is they
rise in the west and set in the east. Nep
tune will be in conjunction with the sun
on the Sd, and consequently invisible. d.
THE CONSULTATIONS AND THE FIXED
STARS.
In the north Ursa Major is directly
above Polaris, and Cassiopeia below The
| Lyra, the pole star 1900 years ago
Cauella is near the horizon in the north
west. Along the ecliptic Scorpio is Just
rising. Libra is midway, Virgo on this
meridian, Leo past, then Cancer, Gemini
and Taurus just setting. Directly over
head at o'clock is Arcturus, a giganti,
sun, moving toward US at the astonish
ing rate of fifty-tye miles per second anC
little to the northwest is the beautiful
circlet of the Northern Crown opening
/ toward the pole. Affair is rising nearly
In the east, and higher up in the south
west is Antares, the blazing red star in
/ Scorpio, amid host Of smaller stars.
OTIS AsHMoRE.