274 ASPECT OF THE HEAVENS. 



nearly behind the Sun from west to east, and will then be an 

 evening star till the end of the year. It attains the greatest 

 angular distance from the Sun westward on Oct. 15 and eastward 

 on Dec, 28. About these times it may possibly be visible to the 

 naked eye. The Moon will be near this planet on Oct. 12, 

 Nov. 12, and Dec. 13. 



Ve?ius, as the evening star, attains its greatest brilliancy on 

 Oct. 30. On Dec. 4 it passes, nearly between us and the Sun, 

 from the east to the west side, and becomes the morning star. 

 Seen through a telescope at any time during the quarter the form 

 is a beautiful crescent, the diameter varying from 27 to 63 seconds. 

 It is low in the south, the meridian altitude, early in November, 

 being only a little over 10 degrees. The Moon will be near this 

 planet on Oct. 17, Nov. 14, and Dec. ir. 



A remarkably close conjunction of Meiritry and Venus occurs 

 on Nov. 29; at 7/^. in the evening the angular distance will be 

 only 10 minutes of arc, about a third part of the diameter of the 

 Sun or Moon. 



Mars is still low in the heavens, but gradually rising. It may 

 be seen in the evenings low in the South-West. It will be in 

 conjunction with the Moon on Oct. 20, Nov. 18, and Dec. 16. 

 On the evening of Nov. 13, this planet will be very near Jiipitci-. 



Jupite?' is very conspicuous as an evening star. It is East of 

 Ma7's until the conjunction on Nov. 13, when the latter overtakes 

 it and soon leaves it behind. 



Saturn is in Leo near the confines of Virgo ; and is therefore 

 a morning star, On November 29, it rises at midnight. It will 

 be near the Moon on Oct. 10, Nov. 7, and Dec. 4. The ring is 

 now very narrow — merely a line across the disc of the planet. 

 The length is upwards of 40 seconds, two-and-a-half times the 

 diameter of the globe, the width is less than 2 seconds. 



Uranus will be in conjunction with the Sun on Oct. 20 ; on 

 the 31st it will be in conjunction with Mercury. 



Neptune^ which is a few degrees West of Aldebaran, will be in 

 opposition to the Sun on Nov. 27. On Nov. 24, it crosses the 

 meridian at midnight, at an altitude of 58 degrees. 



On Dec. 21, at 9 in the evening, the Sun attains his 

 greatest southern declination, and the Winter quarter commences. 



