THE PLANETS (Continued). Mercury will be brightest February 20-28, getting shortly after the Sun; also August 18-28, rising shortly before the Sun. Venus will be brightest as a morning star January 4, but will not get around on the other side of the Sun at her point of greatest brilliancy as an evening star until May 29, 1908. She will be at her greatest elongation (angular distance) west of the Sun, 46° 53', February 8. An opera glass or small telescope will bring out her phases, as shown in the annexed cut. Her difference in apparent size or diameter is due to her varying distance from the Earth, according as she is between us and the Sun or in the opposite portion of her orbit. See the table following this divi- E sion for her motion in her orbit; also that of the other principal planets, page 8. MARS NEAREST THE EARTH. The planet Mars will attract the atten Toward N Venus. S Venus Brighte tion of the world this year because of the As seen in the As seen in the fact that he will approach nearer to us than Morning. Evening. he has been within the last fifteen years, or will be again in the following fifteen years. The reason for this will be understood by an inspection of the annexed figure. When the points C (Aphelion) in the Earth's orbit, and A (Perihelion) in Mars's orbit, come in line with the Sun, then the Earth and Mars will be the nearest possible. A moderately close approach to these, conditions occurs every fifteen years. This year, on July 12, these planets will occupy the positions in their respective orbits E and F. On July 5 the Earth will be at C, or farthest from the Sun, and on September 26 Mars will be at A, or nearest to the Sun. It is apparent that there must be a point between A and C where these bodies are in line with the Sun, and where they will be nearest, and, as has been said, this occurs at E and P. At such times Mars is some 30,000,000 miles nearer to us than when these conditions shown in the figure are reversed, with Mars at or near D and the Earth at or near B. While Mars will be mathematically brightest July 6, he will be by far the most conspicuous object in the stellar or planetary hosts for weeks before and after that date, and will be most carefully watched and photographed at observatories. Comparisons of these with former photographs may disclose important changes. D B SARTH'S MARS ORBIT A Jupiter will not be at his brightest this year, but will be very bright in December, as he will attain his point of opposition to the Sun January 29, 1308. Saturn will be brightest on September 17. He will then be in the last degrees of Aquarius and close to the Equinoctial Colure, or First Meridian of the heavens, corresponding to the Meridian of Greenwich or Washington on the Earth. Uranus will be brightest July 8 and Neptune January 2. CHURCH DAYS AND MOVABLE FEASTS. Epiphany St. David.. Ascension Thursday. May 9 2 Mid-Lent Sunday................March 10 St. Patrick.. .......................March 17 Palm Sunday. ...March 24 ..March 25 .......................March 29 *********......Nov. ...........March 30 Thanksgiving Day............Nov. 28 .March 31 St. Andrew. ...April 7 St. Thomas. ..April 12 Annunciation (Lady Day). Good Friday. Easter Even. Easter Sunday. Low Sunday. Maundy Thursday. Saints Phillip and ............................ April 23 .......... April 25 James.........May 1 May JUPITER. MERIDIAN PASSAGE, RISING AND SETTING OF THE PLANETS. Washington mean time. (All p. m. figures are in black type.) Month -Sets.. -Sets.- H MH MH MH MH MH MH MH MH MH MH MH M States.... Southern In Meridian. States... Northern Southern In Days States.... Meridian CHRONOLOGICAL ERAS. The year 1907, which comprises the lat ter part of the 131st and the beginning of the 132d year of the independence of the United States of America, corresponds nearly to The Mahometan year 1325, which begins on February 14. The year 5668 of the Jews, which begins on September 9, or at sunset September 8. The Chinese year 4604, which begins February 13. The year 7415-16 of the Byzantine Era, beginning September 1. The year 2219 of the Grecian Era, which began near the Vernal Equinox, B. C. 312. The year 2567 of the Japanese Era. CHRONOLOGICAL CYCLES. SITUATION OF THE PRINCIPAL PLANETS FOR EACH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR. MOON'S APOGEE. PERIGEE, HIGHEST, LOWEST, ASCENDING AND DESCENDING NODE. The place indicated is that constellation in which the planet is situated on the first, second, third. fourth and fifth Sundays of each month in the order named. Day. 1. 2 28 P 24 14. 4 20 22 168 2 4 6 181 MOON'S PLACE IN THE ZODIAC AT 7 P. M. Jan. Feb. Mch. Apr. May. C. Dg C. Dg C. Dg C. Dg C. Dg C. Dg C. Dg C. Dg C. Dg C. Dg C. Dg C. Dg CES #X & ∞ 19 510 22 m 1 22 1 2 P 13 16 2518 26 8 10 8 26 П 14 122 15 m 7 291 21 16 1 BUS# X & 50 19 G 27 4 10 18 19 1 238 23 9 11 ရာ 21 25 m 10 6540 18 1 15 29 SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC. The signs of the Zodiac and parts of the human body supposed to be affected by the same: Pisces, feet; Aries P, head; Taurus 8. neck; Gemini II. arms; Cancer breast; Leo, heart; Virgo m, bowels; Libra, kidneys; Scorpio m, loins; Sagittarius 7, thighs; Capricornus, knees; Aquarius, legs. Explanation.-To ascertain when any star or constellation will be on the upper meridian, add the numbers opposite in the column "for meridian passage" to the figures in the table "Sidereal noon" following this note. Note whether the figures be "Morn" or "Eve." If Morn" and the sum is more than 12 hours, the result will be evening of the same day; if "Eve,' " and the sum is more than 12 hours, the result will be morning of the next day. Having found the time of meridian passage, for the rising subtract and for the setting add the numbers opposite the name of the star in the column headed "For rising and setting," observing the directions as to "Morn" and "Eve," as given above. Those stars marked in the last column are circum polar and do not rise or set in the latitude of New-York City. Stars having an asterisk (*) in the last column are only to be seen in the far south and when near the meridian, as the vapors of the horizon will obscure them at rising or setting. To tell how high up from the nearest point of the horizon a star will be at its meridian passage, subtract the declination of the star from 90°, and if the result is less than the latitude of the place of the observer that star will neither rise nor set. but is circumpolar, and the difference between that result and the latitude shows the star's altitude above the north point of the horizon or below the southern horizon. Or, (90° dec.) -latitude == altitude or elevation of the star above the nearest pint of the horizon at meridian passage for stars of a south declination. Examples: Time of setting. 30° Declination of Fomalhaut = 30° south; therefore 90° 60° 40° 20° == altitude of Fomalhaut in latitude 40° north at the time of the meridian passage of that star. To measure celestial distances with the eye, keep in mind that one-third of the distance from the zenith to the horizon is 30°. For smaller measurements use the "Pointers" in the "Big Dipper," which are nearly 5° apart--a convenient celestia! unit because always in sight. The "Yardstick" or "Ell and Yard" in Orion, or the "Kings," is just 3° long, or 11⁄2 each way from the central star (see Star table). When the declination of a star is such as to bring it nearer to the zenith than to the horizon at meridian passage, use its zenith distance to locate it. The difference between latitude and declination zenith distance. If declination is greater than latitude, such difference is to be counted northward (otherwise southward) from zenith. SIDEREAL NOON. To be used in connection with the foregoing Star Table. See note on use of same above. Full-faced (black) figures are p. m.; all others a. m. Jan. Feb. Mar. | Apr. May. June. (July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 1 2 3 4 5 6 3 4 1 5. 5 2 3 1 1 6 4 59 2 57 1 7. 4 55 2 53 1 9 3 7 8. |