ASTRONOMICAL NOTES. 699 



were revealed. 2. His physical markings have been accurately delineated 

 at numerous observatories. 3. His relative mass is now known. 4. Ob- 

 servations on his position relative to fixed stars, will have an important 

 bearing in the final value adopted for the Solar Parallax. A number of 

 drawings showing the phj^sical markings of Mars, were made at this obser- 

 vatory. Made at different hours of the night, they differ miich among 

 themselves, as successive parts of the planet wer« turned tOAvards us. Some 

 of these closely resemble the drawings of Mr. Lockyer, made for. the oppo- 

 sition of 1862. 



Satukn. — In early twilight, Saturn is now seen in the southwest sky, 

 about 30° west of Mars, on the Ecliptic. Tiie northern surface of his rings 

 is still visible in large telescopes — the Earth being elevated only 2°+30' 

 above the plane of the rings. But an unpracticed observer would only 

 note a sharp straight line extending across the bail to the distance of 18" 

 east and west. On February 6, even this sharp line will disappear, since 

 the Earth will then be situated exactly in the plane of the rings. This dis- 

 appearance will last till March 1, when tbe Earth will have crossed the^ 

 plane of the rings, and will have attained an elevation of less than 1' on 

 the south side. This disappearance and reappearance of Saturn's rings, 

 occurs every 14f years. Daring next jqhx the rings will begin gradually 

 to open again ; but several years must elapse before the rings will so opeP, 

 as to present, even in powerful telescopes, their distinct and magnificent 

 phases. The satellites of this planet still present a splendid retinue, and 

 their conjunctions with the ends of the ring and the edge of the ball, have- 

 been closely observed at the Morrison Observatory, for the last two years- 

 The observations may be seen in astronomical journals. 



The Constellations. — About 10 o'clock, Orion is just east of the meri- 

 ridian to the south. Farther north the Pleiades and Hyades have crossed' 

 it. Auriga, with the glorious, star Capella, is- nearing the zenith. North- 

 ward is Perseus in the variable Algol, and in the northwest Cassiopeia on 

 her "royal seat." There is just then a marshallfng of the -'hosts of 

 Heaven," which is excelled at no other hour of tlie year. Under the open 

 canopy in such an hour even the naked-eye observer may well exclaim, 

 " How marvelous are thy works, O Lord, Almighty." But to read those- 

 works as revealed in a powerful telescope, turned on such objects as Sirius 

 with his faint companion — the jNebula in Orion — the triple star Aridrome- 

 da, or the dual clusters in Perseus, like "diadems on the brow of night," 

 is surely a privilege not lightly to be thrown away. 



Morrison Observatory, January, 1878. 



