Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-05-04

cetestlal picture beautiful enough IN
iuny repay the effort required TO he
hold it. ~ oe
Ahother of the chief planets that Is
approaching the position of opposition
ana gradually increasing in size is he
vi the many rings-Saturn. He rises a
i'tie after midnight at present. but
comes above the horizon somewhat
earlier on each successive evening
showing up about half after nine to-
""ru the close of the month. Saturn
'"cs not become an evening star until
after the Fourth of July. maintaining
uhlli mat date his independence, as he
III" tpc position of chief OF the morn
'AS tWliklers when Jupiter surrenders
the sceptre on June 80 and challenges
venus for the supremacy of the eve
ming heavens.
saturn was the most distant planet
known to the ancicnts. 1t rcvoIves in
an orbit outside the ether ancient
planets. and until the discovery OF
uranus century ago the orbit of
Saturn might we'll he regarded as the
frontier of the solar system. Saturn
was indeed an object worthy to occupy
position 50 distinguished. Eut we
now know that the mighty orbit Of
Saturn does not extend to the frontiers
al the solar SYSTEM IL splendid disCoE
cry, leading to one still more splendid,
has Vastly extended the boundary by
revealing two mighty planets rcvo!v-
ing III dim telescope distance. far out
side the path Of Saturn. These objects
have not the beauty of Saturn; they
are indeed in no sense effective tcle-
Scopic pictures. Yet these outer
! planets awaken an interest Of q most
special and remarkable kind The dis
| covery of each is a classical event in
the history of astronomy. and the
opinion has been maintained, and per
| haps not without good reason, that the
| discovery of Neptune, the more remote
| Of the two, ranks among the greatest
| achievements in astronomy made since
| the time of Newton.
| Venus is now so very close to the
sun that We cannot see her lovely face.
! Even when the month closes she Will
~ only a little more than half an hour
] later than the sun in setting. Patient
watching OF the western section of the
heavens between sunset and dark will
in another month disclose the ravish
|
heavens, and what is still more delight
full is the promise that she will appear
to us night after night throughout the
summer. She will be an evening star
| until after the year draws to close.
| with disk ever on the increase until
| December will find it almost four times
its present size, with three hours after
| sunset in which to enjoy it.
Neptune is also an evening star. but
he is drawing in SO close with the sun
! that he is too dim for practical use,
and hence has most inconspicuous
place on the program for this month.
| This planet is twice in conjunction
during the month. once with the
| moons growing face on the goth, and
| second time on the last day of the
| month. when Mercury comes quite
| close. but we have already decided
that these features are not particularly
| worth dwelling upon, as they are not
to be distinguished with unaidcd
vision.
Mars comes to our meridian NJ pres
eI.t about twenty minutes after seven
o'clock in the evening, and sets about
half after one o'clock i'll the morning.
H. is marching along toward the posi-
ton of quadraturc with the sun. where
he is scheduled to arrive on the 2Sth
nf the month. He is now an evening
star and Will remain in that category
until the new year has come. Mars
keeps 50 far away as to be but Il most
inconspicuous object. and sometimes
we have more or less difficulty in find
ing him. However. his time will come
when he will fix the attention 81 US
all, and then won't we have grand
time with all the theorists and crankS
who are bent upon establishing syS-
TEN of communication, wireless or
otherwise. with our Marian friends, #
We have any of that kind New York
Times.