Year: 1878

/ Ve,ar-Will be near her greatest eastern
elongation at the opening of the year, setting
after the sun, and will be a very prominent OBJ
iect in the evening sky during January as she
attains her greatest brilliancy on the 10Th,
when she will be a few degrees south from
the X of Aquares. At the close of January
she will be stationary, degs. south from
Lambda in AQuaries. Feb 20 is the date of
her inferior conjunction with the sun. She
will thereafter be a morning star till Dec. 5,
the date of her superior conjunction with the
sun. She attans her greatest brilliancy
March 2S: being then nearly midway between
Alpha in Aquares and Mu in Capricorn. In
the morning OF April 2S she will be about
degs. south from the moon.. May l, she
attains her greatest western elongation, 40
degs. min., being then little below the
quadrilateral in the Western Fish. May she
will be n degs north from Saturn. In the
morning of Aug 26 she will be very near the
moon; Sept. 25 win be only half degree
north from Mercury, and Sept. 80 will be
quarter Of a degree south from Mercury, both
in the morning. Oct. p Venus will be less
than l degree north from Mars Except to
those who rise before the sun, the planet
Venus will be an interesting object only dur
ing the first month of the year.


MdS-At the beginning of the year this
planet will be nearly on the meridian at 6
O'Clock in the evening" little southeast from
Algcnib; and from that time gradually nears
the sun till Sept Is, the date of Lis conjunc-
ton. Mars will not be prominent object in
1878, thOugh-easily recognized in the evening
sky lin the wcst during the first two months
of the year


J,piter-Will be in conjunction with the sun
Jan. 3, and be morning star during the first
half of the year. June II, near midnight, he
Will be less than half a degree north from the
moon, and will be again nearly in conjunc-
tion with her in the morning Of July Is. Ten
days afterwards he will be in opposition to
the sun, being then less than 2 degrees
south from Pi in Capricorn. He will be among
the unprominent stars of Capricorn and Aqua
Ties during the remainder Of the wear, being
an evening star through the autumn months
In the evening of Oct. 81 the moon will pass
very little to the southwark of jupiter.


Sdtu17t-Wlll be an evening star till March
13, the date of his con junction with the sun;
and a morning star thereafter till Sept 22,
being in opposition to the sun only 1917 hours
before the Autumnal Equinox. He will be an
evening star during the last three months of
the year. In January he will be near the head
of the Western Fish, south from the Square of
Pegasus and very interesting object through
the telescope as his ring system will be near
the vanishing point. The ring will disappear
about Feb. 6, and remain invisible till March
1, when the plane of the rings will be in line
with the earth Saturn is then too near the
sun to be prominent object, At the date of
opposition (September) he will be II degs.
south from Algenib, nearly in line with the
eastern side Of the Square of Pegasus; and
will be not far from that position during the
remainder of the year, not near any promi-
nHnt star.


lranaS-Will be barely visible to the naked
eye as a star of the sixth magnitude during
the early part of the year. His opposition to
the sun occurs during the night of Feb. Is,
and his conjunction Aug. q. He will be near
Regulus the leading star of Leo, during the
whole year, and during the night of Feb. 1
will be only 2016 minutes of arc north from
that star July "a he will be but little more
than 16 minutes north from Regulus He may
be found by reference to that star when in a
position favorable for observation; but will
probably require good eye to "pick him up"
owing to his nearness to the bright star above
named.


Neptaa,e-Will be in opposition to the sun
Oct. 81, at which time his right ascension will
be Oh. BIN. 3Ss., and his deciination north 13
degrees minute. He will be little above
the principal stars in the head of Cetus during
the year. He can only be seen by the aid of
good telescope. -Chicag0 Tribune.