The times., 1898-02-13
THE HEAVENS IN FEBRUARY.
The Sun VIII Creep Nine Degrees
Nearer to Us This Month
From the New York Times.)

F'rom the New York Times)
AS the sun approaches the equator
from his far Southern declination his
speed increases and we find at the end OF
February that he is some nine degrees
or SO nearer us than he was at the be-
| ginning, fact rendered quite apparent
by the longer days
| The moons phases begin with its be-
| ing at the full on the 6th, followed by
| last quartering on the 18th. New moon
comes in on the 20eh ard on the last
| day of the month there will be first
| quartering. oi s12
Neptune is an evening 1star and comes
| to our meridian about $50 o'clock, but
this namesake of the god of the ocean
| is too far distant for us to distinguish
| him, large and beautiful though he be.
The distance separating the planet from
the sun is 2,746, ,000, ,001 miles.
Jupiter is progressing steadily toward
the position in which he will be in OPP
position to the sun and where he will
arrive the latter part of March. Until
the event transpires the giant of the
planets Will remain a morning star, but
after its occurrence he will again enter
the list and challenge fair Venus for the
supremacy of the evening sky. During
the August evenings we can feast our
eyes upon the beautiful picture present.
ed by these two prominent beauties of
the heavens gradually drawing closer
and closer together. The conjunction be-
tween the moon and Jupiter this month
finds the two at such distance apart
that the attractiveness Of the tableau is
very greatly lessened.
Uranus is still among the morning
stars. and on the 21st il reaches the
quarter post in it's circuit. The planet
is to be found in the group of the
Scorpion, close to Saturn, but not near
enough to any very conspicuous star
to aid in distinguishing its exact loca-
ton.
Saturn also cC, les under the heading
of the morning stars, and is to be four
in the Scorpion group, fairly close 10
Uranus.
Venus is now laying in store of
caloric. to enable her to shine with her
accustomed fascinating brilliancy when
she energies from the suns powerful
influence and graces the western even
ing sky with her fair face and charming
loveliness. We can hardly hope to see
much of this beautiful planet until
April. but she is we'll worth our wait
ing. and then, too, we shall have her
with us for many weeks, and can care
fully observe her course through her
path to the eastward of the sun. All
the magnificence of light and day,
which We enjoy on earth Venus pos
sesses III a higher degree. and, like
our globe, it is surrounded by a trans
parent atmosphere, in the midst of
which are combined thousands and !
thousands Of shades of light.
Mars and Mercury are very close to- |
gether on the 11th, and would undoubt- |
edly form most pleasing sight for the |
..,.+fG
cial aid il is not possible to pick them |
from the suns engulfng brightness |
Mars has conjunction with the fading
crescent just two days before ii is |
succeeded by the growing one, and this |
is the closest meeting Of the kind for
the month. 1t is quite aggravating to |
be told this, as our view of hea emily
bodies that rise so soon before the
sun is too limited for us TO see vary
much Of item
Mercury is barely to be seen during
the first few days of the month, as he
is just drawing to the. eastward away |
from his position of greatest western
and at the time when he is
IN conjunction with the moon we shall |
not be able to distinguish his face. Be-
ng the first planet OF the system, Mer-
curry always remains absorbed in the
royal radiation of the prince of day,
and so it is deprived of its individuality !
It gains nothing and loses much, see
ng that it had not the honor of being
known TO the founders Of astronomy.
An hour or two after sunset on any
of the nights near. the beginning of
February we have the glorious Orion
n the southeast, with Sirius a little
over in the same quarter. Procyon
md Castor and Pollux are in the east,
With Capella and Aldebaran nearly
overhead. About g. o'clock Regulus
'omes in view, and two hours later
Spica comes a bit further south. We !
lave the Bull nearly in the zenith, but
o the southwark; the Charioteer north
# that point, the Great Bear or Dip
,er in the northeast, and Perseus, An
Iromeda. and the Lady in Her Chair
n the northwest.