CELESTIAL PHENOMENA FOR APRIL, 1884. 763 
will nearly all be forgotten in the good time coming, when instead of placing de- 
pendence on musty old rhymes of nonsense, people will learn the few general 
laws of storms, and with a little additional knowledge which observation alone 
affords, be able to forecast for themselves with all needful accuracy the changes 
to which the weather of our latitudes is ever subject. 
Morrison, III., March 10, 1884. 
ASTRONOMY. 
CELESTIAL PHENOMENA FOR APRIL, 1884. 
PROF. W. W. ALEXANDER, KANSAS CITY, MO. 
There will be visible in the evening during this month seven, or all, of the 
principal planets in the solar system. To begin with Mercury (the first in order 
of distance from the Pun,) it may be seen from the 20th until about the 30th in 
the western sky, from 7:30 to 8:45 by our standard time, its position will be 20° 
north of west at the time it sinks below the horizon. The point on the horizon 
at which it will set on the 29th exactly coincides with the place of sun-set. This 
elongation will be rather more favorable than usual for seeing it, from the fact 
the position of the Earth with reference to this planet's orbit enables us to ob- 
serve it at a much greater distance from the Sun than usual. On the 25th it 
will be nearly 21° east from the Sun. 
Venus. — A description of the position of this planet is almost unnecessary; 
even the most casual observer cannot fail to notice it if he should take a glance 
at the western sky; it is by far the most brilliant object to be seen except the 
Sun or Moon. During the whole time its light will be increasing, from the fact 
that it will be rapidly approaching the Earth, being some thirty millions of miles 
nearer by the end than on the first of the month ; it will be bright enough at any 
time to be seen with the naked eye in the daytime, it will be on our meridian 
about three hours after the Sun, or at 3:20 P. M. standard time, and at an elevation 
of 76° ; this is a very high elevation being only 14° south of the zenith. It will 
be moving rapidly eastward across the heavens reaching conjunction with Saturn 
on the 1 2th, it will pass to the north 4° 13'. It also has a decided motion north- 
ward, it will enter the constellation Taurus on the 3d and by the 6th it will be 
nearly in line with Aldebaran, Saturn and the Pleiades. Aldebaran is a bright 
red star of the first magnitude and the only bright one in this constellation. 
The above conjunction will aid in locating Saturn the next in order from 
west to east across the sky ; this planet will not be favorably situated for obser- 
vation this month, and therefore will not present us with any facts worthy of 
