Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-04-18
THE APRIL SKIES.
Phases of the Moon-The Planets and
Consultations.

The moon was in her last quarter
on the 9TH, new on the 18th. Will be in
her first quarter on the 22d and full on
the 29th. On the 10th she was in apogee
and on the Goth will be in perigee. At
noon CT the 1st the sun was very near
ly a 80 north of the equator, and ut
noon of the last of the month will be
Ia Az, thus sweeping in the course Of
the month through large arc of more
than IL in defamation.
The planet Mercury, though for a
little while in Pisces, will be in Aries
during the greater portion of the
month. Venus and Jupiter will both
be in Pisces, the former entering the
boundary Of that constellation at an
early date of the month. Both will rise
between four and five o'clock in the
morning and approach each other more
and more closely until on April % they
will be in close conjunction, being then
only half a degree distant from each
other. AS on that day the sun rises
about SIS o'clock, the lustre of both
planets after their rising will be to
some extent dimmed by the morning
twilight. although they may be
| observed before their brightness is
quellod by the increasing irradiation of
the eastern skies by the sun approach
| ing the horizon. Mars will be success
sively in Pisces, Aries and Taurus. and
may be seen close to the western
horizon a little after seven o'clock in
the evening. On the Sth it WAS in
conjunction with Mercury, though. OH
,, account Of its proximity to the sun.
scarcely visible to the naked eye.
Saturn is in Capricornus. and, since the
planet rises between three and four
o'clock in the morning, it will, like
Jupiter and Venus, act in the capacity
of the morning star
When we speak Of the brightness Of
Il planet it is really the reflective power
or, tt call it by a technical name. it's
albedo which is meant. For instance,
Venus is n bright planet by virtue of
it's power of Rejecting sunlight. since
presumably it has no inherent bright
ness of it's own. What its reflective
power is was probably never more
effectively brought under the notice of
n human eye than on Sept. 26, 1873.
when Nasmyth enjoyed an opportunity
of soaing Venus and Mercury side by
side for several hours in the same field
of view. He speaks Of Venus as re-
sembling clea silver and Mercury as
nothing better than zinc or lead. See
ing that. owing to its greater proximity
to the sun. the light incident on Mer-
curry must be some three and one-half
times as strong as the light incident or
Venus, it follows that the reflective
power of Venus. or its albedo. must be
very great. AS 4 matter Oe fact, it has
been calculated to be nearly equal tC
newly fallen snow; in other words. tc
reflect fully 20 per cent Of the light
which impinges upon 1t. AS to any
satellite Of Venus. the fact Of its hav-
ing none may be considered certain
although between the years 1645 and
11GS half n dozen or more observers
pretended to have discovered such
satellite and to have observed and fol-
lowed it. This startling mystery as
it really was, attracted some years age
the attention Of n very careful Belgian
observer. who in most painstaking
manner examined all the recorded
observations. His conclusions were
that in almost all cases particular star
which he identified were mistaken TO,
satellite of Venus. When the object
seen was not capable of Identification
possibly 1t was n minor planet. Will,