Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-07-09
IN THE JULY HEAVENS.
Days Will Soon Begin to Grow Shorter-A
New Moon the 10TH.

DAYS Will Soon Begin to Grow Shorter-A
New Moon the 10TH.
New York Times.
The surprising beauty of the moonlit
and starlit sky of July always renders 1t
one of the most attractive of months for
the lovers of nature.
The sun having climbed as far north as
he is permitted to go, has now turned his
face to the southwark, and the days are
forced once again to yield some of their
time to the nights. On the LIST of the
month the sun rises at 1872 and sets at
1885, making the day fifteen hours and
three minutes long, whereas on the last
day of the month almost three-quarters
of an hours difference will be found in
the days loss and the nights gain. The
sun has two of the planets in conjunction
with it this month, Venus and Mercury,
the former on the 9th and the latter on
the 31st. In both cases the planets pass
on the further side of the sun from that
on which our planet is to be found at the
time.
The last quartering of the June moon
occurred on July and on the 10th the
new moon for July is due. There Is first
quarter on the 18th and full moon on the
oath, when the moon, being well south
in declination, will seem so very much
nearer and more friendly than when 1t
rises further north and passes so high
over our heads when 1t reaches our me-
ridian. There are some very close meet
ings this month between the moon and
several of the planets, but unfortunately
the suns rays have claimed so much of
the latter that we are not permitted to
see their faces without artificial aid, and
SO our pleasing pictures are not as at
tractive as we sometimes find them. The
meetings between the remaining plan
cts and lunar are at too great a distance
to play an important part in the monthly
events of interests.
On the 9th Venus is in superior con-
junction with the sun, and passes once
more to the realm of the evening stars.
1t will be some little time before we can
see her fair and radiant face, but it will
be very well worth seeing when we are
permitted to have look at 1t, and what
still more concerns us is the fact that we
shall have her with us throughout the
year.
Mercury, on his way to the eastward,
passes the sun on the last day of the
month, and again joins the ranks of the
evening stars, where he will remain until
October.
Jupiter for a wife ceases to have as
lively an interest for us as he has been
in toward the sun so close that his face
hs4s become quite dim. When he reap
pears 1t will be as a morning star, there
to be classed throughout the remainder
of the year. The brilliancy of Jupiter,
WI lch makes 1t an object of such splendor
in our midnight sky. is only derived from
the same source which Eliminates the
earth, the moon, or the other planets-in
other words, he shines by reflected sun
light A beautiful proof of this is given
by the little satellites which attend the
planet, and when they mass between him
That shadow Is black. or, at all events. It
seems black, relatively, to the brilliant
surrounding surface Of the planet,
whence 1t must be obvious that Jupiter
is indebted only to the sun for it's bril-
liancy. The satellites supply another In