Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-11-07
SKIES IN N0VEMB
MOTIONS OF THE sun IN DECLIyA-
TION.
POSITION OF THE PLANETS
Leverrier's Discovery of Neptune
Ii Illustrates the Magic Power of
Mathematical Analysis and the In
genufty of the Human Mind.
Baltimore SUM-

Baltimore SUM-
During the month of November the
moon will present the following phases:
First quarter on the LIST and 10th, full on
the 9Th, last quarter on the 18th, and new
on the Ath. On the 18th Cat 4 A. NJ she
will be in apogee, and on the 24th Cat 3
A. M in perigee.
The SUMS declination will be Il degrees
81 minutes south on the 1st, and Il degrees
! Al minutes south on the last, thus pass
ing through an arc Of degrees minutes
during the month.
The points of the rising and setting Of
the sun on the horizon are perpetually
shifting southwark, and will reach their
southernmost limits December 2lst. IN
the apparent annual motion of the sun
we must distinguish between his motion
in declination-that is, north and south
of the equator, on which the seasons de-
pend, his motion in right ascension-that
is, parallel to the equator, and the mo-
ton Of his rising and setting points along
the horizon, the exact position Of which
require the declination of the sun and the
latitude Of the place.
On the equator. the horizon of which
passes through the poles, the sun, as well
ways perpendicular to the horizon, a po-
sition which Is called the right sphere.
On the poles, whose horizon is the equa-
tor, the sun and stars move parallel to
the horizon. a position which is called
the parallel sphere, while at all ATTITUDES
between the equator and the poles the
circles OF diurnal motion are obliQue to
the horizon. q position called the oblQue
sphere. The fact that the latitude of
any place is equal to the elevation of he
nearest pole above the horizon is a very
important one. and should always be re-
membered. Travelling northward the po-
lar star will get higher and higher and
on the North Pole itself it would be d.
rectly overhead On the equator the
pole star is continually on the horizon
or very close TO II, since the pole star
is IA degrees distant from the true pole
of the heavens
THE PLANETS.
The planet Mercury will be in Libra du-
ring the earlier portion of the month. but
in Scorpio during the remainder. Venus
will be first in Virgo, then in Libra, and
month. She will rise between and 5
o'clock In the morning, and may. there
fore, be seen by early risers. Mars being
at first in Libra, win enter Scorpio and
remain there for the remainder Of the
month.
The motion among the zodiacal constel-
lations is considerably slower than that of
Venus, since its sideral period Is a little
more than three times that OF the latter.
The great planet Jupiter Is in Virgo and
shines like Venus morning star,
rising, however, nearly 1-2 hours earlier
than the latter. In consequence OF the
quick motion of Venus the distance be-
tween her and Jupiter, which last month
was very close, has increased and keeps
on increasing continually. Saturn Is still
near the boundary line OF Scorpio and
Libra, and cannot be seen during the noe
turnal hours. The planet Uranus is In
scorpio. not very far from Saturn, though
only a person gifted with keen sense Of
vision can distinguish 1t without the aid
of magnifying glass
THE DISCOVERY OF NEPTUNE.
Neptune is in Taurus. The discovery OF
this great planet, the third in the order OF
magnitude, must be considered the great
est triumph OF mathematics as applied to
astronomy. In our last article we men,
toned Herschel's discovery OF Uranus, in
i7M. whose enormous distance from the
sun led to and justified the belief that
with that planet the confines OF the solar
system were reached. Tne path OF the
exact methods OF mathematical astrono-
INV. To the great establishment OF astron-
omers II was found, In course OF years,
that the planet did not move precisely In
the computed path. The only way In
ed for was by s'1pposing that some other
planet beyond the orbit OF Uranus drew
the latter out Of its computed path. Small
though the quantity was which consu-
tuted the difference between the computed
and the actual orbit, II was sufficient for
the great French astronomer. Leverrter,
TO calculate the size and position of a
planet that could produce such a per-
turbafion. In the year 1873 Leverrier wrote
from Paris to DR.. Gale, In Berlin, who
enjoyed the reputation Of very accurate
observer. to direct his telescope to a GER
tain portion In the sky where he as
sured him, he would ind q new planet.
Gale at once set to work. and lol there
was the planet In the exact position
which L.everrier had assigned to ii. with
out himself ever having seen IT, II Is but
just to say that simultaneously. but In
dependently. an English astronomer.
Adams. of Cambridge had made the cal.
cuiations also by methods different from
Leverriers but leading to the same re-
suits. That with 30 few and small data
could copuputa the elements OF an utterly