THE YOUNG SCIENTIST. 
85 
Astronomy for Amateurs. 
BY BEELIN H. WEIGHT. 
(Calculated for the Latitude of New York City.) 
THE PLANETS— AUGUST, 1880. 
n 
X/. 
SI. 
M 
IrJ., 
Mercury rises 
16 
3 
21 
3 
52 
,26 
3 
55 
Venus invisible. 
Mars sets 
10 
8 
6 
20 
7 
45 
Jupiter rises 
10 
9 
32 
20 
8 
51 
Saturn " 
10 
10 
0 
25 
9 
2 
Uranus invisible. 
Neptune rises 
20 
9 
58 
EPHEMEEIDES OF THE PEINCIPAIi STAES AND 
CLUSTEES POE AUGUST 20, 1880. 
H. 
M. 
Alpha Andromeda (Alpheratz) in 
meridian 
2 
6 morn 
Omicron Ceti (Mira) variable rises 
10 
26 even 
Beta Persei (Algol) 
7 
52 " 
Eta Tauri (Alcyone or Light of 
Pleiades) rises 
10 
12 " 
Alpha Tauri (Aldebaran) rises 
11 
31 " 
Alpha Am'igae (Capella) " 
8 
59 " 
Beta Orionis (Rigel) rises 
1 
42 morn 
Alpha Orionis (Betelguese) rises 
1 
27 " 
Alpha Canis Majoris (Sirius or Dog 
Star) rises 
3 
43 " 
Alpha Canis Minoris (Procyon) rises 
3 
18 " 
Alpha Leonis (Eegulus) invisible. 
Alpha Virginis (Spica) sets 
8 
43 even 
Alpha Bootis (Arcturus) sets 
11 
23 " 
Alpha Scorpionis ( Antares) sets 
10 
43 " 
Alpha Lyrae (Vega) in merid. 
8 
34 " 
Alpha Aquillae (Altair) in merid. 
9 
46 " 
Alpha Cygni (Deneb) in merid. 
10 
38 " 
Alpha Pisces Australis (Fomalhaut) 
in meridian 
1 
55 morn 
NEAE APPEOACH OF MOON TO PLANETS AND 
STAES, AND OTHEE PHENOMENA, AUG., 1880. 
Aug. 1. Mercury 6^ South of Venus. 
1. Mars i° North of Uranus. 
" 1. Venus 17° in Cancer. 
" 1. Moon Apogee; tide lowest. 
" 1. Moon highest. 
" 5. Mercury inferior conj. with Sun. 
6. Neptune 90" West of Sun. 
' " 6. Venus 5° North of Moon. 
8. Uranus 6° 
8. Mars 6° 
8. Jupiter stationary. 
8. Mars 13° in Leo. 
** 10. Saturn stationary. 
Aug. 15. Mercury stationary. 
" 15. Jupiter 18^ in Pisces. 
17. Neptune stationary. 
" 17. Moon Perigee ; tide highest. 
" 20. Uranus 1° South of Venus. 
" 22. Mercury at Gr. Elong. West 1S° 21'. 
" 22-25. Mercury brighest— a morning star. 
" 22. Saturn 26° in Pisces. 
" 23. Jupiter 7° South of Moon. 
" 24. Saturn 8° South of Moon. 
" 25. Neptune 6° South of Moon. 
" 26. Neptune 11° in Aries. 
" 28. Moon highest. 
" 29. Mercury in Perihelion. 
" 29. Moon Apogee ; tide lowest. 
" 31. Uranus 10° in Leo. 
jupitee's satellites. 
The following are the most interesting phe- 
nomena which may be observed in the evenings 
of August : 
D. 
H. 
M. 
Aug. 6 
11 
44 eve., 
Sat. II, Oc. 
Ee. 
7 
11 
44 " 
I, Ec. 
Dis. 
9 
11 
51 " 
" III, Tr. 
Eg. 
" 16 
11 
27 " 
I, Oc. 
Ee. 
" 20 
11 
47 
" II, Ec. 
Dis. 
" 22 
10 
44 " 
" II, Tr. 
Eg. 
" 23 
10 
1 " 
I, Ec. 
Dis. 
" 24 
10 
33 " 
I, Tr. 
Eg. 
" 29 
10 
29 " 
" II, Tr. 
In. 
" 31 
10 
7 " 
" I, Tr. 
In. 
Explanation :— Oc, occultation ; Ec, eclipse ; 
Dis., disappearance or beginning ; Tr., transit ; 
In., ingress or beginning ; Eg., egress or ending. 
the MOON, IV. 
The Alps (80); a lofty and very steep chain 
rising into separate peaks ; one of the highest is 
Mount Blanc (next to which the number on the 
map stands)— rises more than 13,000 feet. It is 
always easily found. Cassini (81) is a very 
curious ring-plain, having narrow walls and 
casting a long spire of shade in the First 
Quarter. It contains a small, deep crater. 
Aristillus (83) is one of the most conspicuous 
objects to be seen in the moon, and always at- 
tracts the eye first. It is a crater 34 miles broad 
and 11,000 feet deep, with a fine central moun- 
tain. The ring is very steep, and is surrounded 
by radiating banks, resembling lava streams — 
best seen about one day after First Quarter. 
South of it is a companion crater (84), nearly as 
deep and bearing less evidence of a flow of lava. 
They seem to be connected by low ridges. The 
Apennines (85) is a very extensive chain, more 
nearly resembling the mountains of the earth 
than is generally the case. Its length is 460 
miles, running over into the next quadrant. It 
casts a shadow 83 miles long. Huygens (90) is 
