Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-07-09
BRIGHT PLANETS.
Venus, Jupiter and Mars Conspicuous in The
Morning Sky.

spicuous in the morning and one in the even
ing sky, VEINS, Jupiter and Mars, being
brightest in the solar system, and Saturn
can be seen with the naked eye. Venus is
not as plain or as brilliant as in the winter,
being at present one third her great
est brilliancy. The interesting feature
OF the month is Venus nearing Jupiter,
Neptune and the star Mu Geminarum.
Venus and Jupiter will be in conjunction
, the 20ih. The conjunction with Neptune
will take place the 18th. The conjaction
with Mu Geminarum will occur the 2sth.
On the lst Venus rose at l.55 A. NJ.
Her right ascension was b., min, de.
clination N. Is deg. 40 min., and she is in
the constellation Taurus. The red star
southeast of the planet is Aldebaran.
Jupiter has emerged from the suns rays
and is again conspicuous in the morning
sky as the twilight brightens. He is NOV
ing eastward in the constellation Taurus,
and is in the extreme eastern part of the
constellation, between the horns of the Bull.
Mars is becoming quite conspicuous and
gives indication of the brilliancy which will
attract every one in the autumn. He rose on
the lst at ll.29 p. M. and on the 3lst at
1910 P. M, so that he can be seen before
| midnight throughout the month. He is in
the constellation Pisces and journeying east
ward near the southern line of stars which
form the band uniting the two fishes.
Neptune should be added to the group of
morning planets, though his disk is hidden
from all observers except those favored
with telescopes. He is near Jupiter in the
eastern part of the constellation Taurus,
and moving slowly eastward at the rate of
about one deg. per month.
Saturn holds his place as the chief object
of interest in the evening sky. On the 10th
he reaches eastern quadrature, or is 80 deg.
distant from the sun. He has stopped his
| retrograde or western motion, and moves
eastward about 5 deg. in the course Of. the
month. His rings are sufficiently inclined
to show the opening between the two outer
rings, and the innermost or gauZe ring may
be detected, if the optical power is suffi-
cient. An aperture exceeding 10 inches
is necessary in the present position of the
| rings. The planet is about 6 deg. north of
Spica, and will lesson the distance to 5 deg.
by the end of the month. On the LIST Sat-
urn's right ascension was 13h. 12m., and
declinalion S. deg. Sam. He sets at OF
A. M, and is in the constellation Virgo.
Uranus shares with Saturn the honors of
the evening in the planetary annals. He is
in the constellation Libra, and on the 10th
reaches his western stationary point, NOV
ing eastward after that date. He is about
three degrees northwest of Alpha Libra, the
southwestern of the two leading stars of
that constellation. On the first his right
ascension was 14h. 3Gm., declnation S. IA
deg. 54m. and he sets at 1851 A. M.
Mercury is visible through the month.
On the 9TH he was at his greatest distance
from the sun, and midwinter, with whatever
characteristics that season is marked on the
torrid planet, is at its height Between the
9th and the 30th he retrogrades, or appar-
emily travels westward among the stars, and
passes between the earth and the sun on
the goth. The retrograde motion of the
superior planets, especially of Mars and
Jupiter, is easily recognized, but that of
the interior planets, Venus and Mercury, is
not SO evident. In the case of the latter
planets, we see more readily their move
ments with regard to the sun, than their
movements among the stars. Indeed, Mer-
curry is never seen except in twilight, when
few stars are visible. But all the planets,
without exception, move in a general cas-
terly direction, and at times seem to halt,
retrace their steps, halt again and resume
their easterly path. This retracing always
begins before and ends after the time when
the earth and planet are at the nearest
points in their orbits on the same side of
the sun. When the sun, earth and planet
are in line, the planet is half way in its
retrograde arc. The apparent western mo-
ton is due to the fact that the earth and
planet are moving with different velociies
in their respective orbits.
The July moon runs its course as nearly
with the calendar months as is possible in q
month of 81 days. A conspicuous feature
of the moons motion is the fact that it runs
very high near new moon and very low
near full moon. On the evenings when the
neon is most noticed, between first quar-
ter and full, she will be very low in the
south, having southern declination ex-
ceeding % deg. In her path among the
stars she passed Neptune and Jupiter on
the lst, Mercury on the 4th,> and will pass
Saturn on the 9th, Uranus on the 18th, Mars
on the oath, Neptune again on the 2Sth,
Jupiter again on the goth, and Venus on
the 30th The morning sky at the close of
the month, with the crescent moon added
to the morning stars Venus, Jupiter and
| MATS, WILL NC hS
moon occults Spica on the 10th and Antares
on the 18th. but not for the benefit of Oh
servers in New England.
The earth was at it's greatest distance
from the sun on the Sd inst. The days were
four minutes shorter on the 1st than when
| longest in June, and A. minutes shorter as
the month closes.
In the evening sky number of bright
stars are easily found. The ruddy star low
in the west is Regulus, the very brilliant
star nearly overhead or west of the zenith
is Arcturus, the two bright stars in the
southwest are Saturn and Spica, the former
the northern of the two. The red star
in the southeast is Antares. The very
bright star approaching the zenith from
the northeast is Vega; the star following
it, but further south, the middle one OF
three, is Affair. OF the leading constella-
tons, Leo is in the west, Virgo and Corvus
in the southwest, Libra in the south.
Bootes, Corona Boreals and Hercules are
nearly overhead, Sernens and Ophiuchus
are high in the southeast, and Scorpio low
| in the southeast. 1t is a good time to trace
the long line of stars curving south
and east. and then recurring to the
north and west. which mark the tail of