The Ways of the Planets

by Martha Evans Martin

JUPITER’S PLACE IN THE SKY

Jupiter is now (1912) in the constellation Scorpio, and he will be in this region, and thus a summer star, for several years to come. In 1913 he will be in opposition early in July, and will then be in Sagittarius, not far from the little “milk dipper,” and will be a gloriously beautiful object during all the summer. He will be in opposition about August 10, 1914, in Capricornus, and will again be the most brilliant object in the summer sky. In 1915 he will be in opposition a little after the middle of September, and will then be situated on or near the eastern edge of Aquarius, where he will be a very distinguished star during all the charming evenings of late summer and the autumn. He always seems particularly splendid when in this season of the year he reaches opposition. The insistent brilliancy of his disc brings him then into view before the sun is fairly down; and he hangs, placid and alone, in the southeastern sky during the autumn twilight, and later in the evening shows to advantage his dominating beauty, with Antares on the west of him and Fomalhaut below him, no less charming in their own way, but far less brilliant than this splendid planet.

In 1916, when opposition will occur not far from Hallowe’en, Jupiter will be about on the eastern border of the constellation Pisces, and, rising then just as the sun sets, will enliven the evening view for the rest of that year. He will appear at his very best at this time, for he will be at about his nearest to the sun; and all that this situation can do for him in the way of enhancing his brilliancy may then be seen.

In 1917 he will be in opposition to the sun about the first of December, in Taurus; and for the next few years he will be a winter star, moving majestically along his path in the zodiac, never more than one and a half degrees from the ecliptic, and passing in turn the Pleiades, Aldebaran, Castor and Pollux, and the little Bee-hive in Cancer. There will be no opposition in 1918; but one will occur early in January, 1919, when Jupiter is in the eastern half of Gemini; and toward the middle of February, 1920, another will take place, when the planet is in Cancer, with Castor and Pollux, the sparkling twin stars in Gemini, to the west of him.

During part of 1920 and all of the next three years Jupiter will be journeying across Leo, Virgo, Libra, and Scorpio. He will be opposite the sun in 1921, a little after the middle of March; in 1922, in the latter half of April; and in 1923, toward the very last of May. He will pass near Regulus, the sparkling star in the handle of the Sickle, in the summer of 1920; near Spica in 1921; and he will not be far from Antares in 1923.

In 1924 Jupiter’s cycle of twelve years will be completed, and he will be in opposition again early in July, and situated near the western edge of Sagittarius, not far from where he was in 1912.

These cycles do not repeat themselves exactly; but the planet lacks only four days of having been in opposition eleven times during twelve of our years, so that it is not difficult to keep track of him through a long series of years. For exact dates, such as one needs in a very close study of the planet, an almanac must be consulted; but this is not necessary for mere recognition, which is all that is needed to enjoy the acquaintance of great Jupiter.

Every year Jupiter is an evening star for more than six months. For two months before opposition he rises somewhat after sundown; at opposition he appears exactly at the setting of the sun; and thereafter he is found in the evening sky, appearing farther toward the west each evening, until, when nearing conjunction, he is lost to our view for a time. He is a morning star for an equal length of time, and for about three months can be seen between midnight and six in the morning; but much of the rest of the time he is obscured by the daylight.

Jupiter retrogrades in his motion for about two months before and after each opposition; but, since he changes his place to the extent of only two and a half degrees a month, the whole apparently backward movement amounts only to ten degrees a year. Still, it is very interesting to watch him swing back and forth over this ten degrees before he starts out on each yearly journey.