Whose direct motion during the month is estimated at 1° 3′ 26″, continues its role as evening star, setting at the following times: On the 1st at 11:10; on the 15th at 10:16; and on the 30th at 9:17 p. m. On the date last named, Beta Virginis will be only two minutes south of and will set at the same time as the planet. On the 19th, at 2:00 p. m., Uranus will be eleven minutes north of Mars; and on the 26th, at 9:57 a. m. will be 2° 43′ north of the moon.
NEPTUNE
Scarcely affords this month material for comment. Its diameter at present appears to be 2.6″. Its motion is 40′ 35″, and is direct. On the 1st it rises at 1:44 a. m.; on the 15th at 12:49 a. m.; and on the 30th at 11:45 p. m. At 5:27 p. m., on the 17th, it will be 1° 11′ north of the moon.
FOR AUGUST.
The mid-day shadows lengthening northward indicate to us northern folks that “Old Sol” has departed on his annual southern tour. He now cuts off the day at both ends, on the 1st rising 25 minutes later and setting 20 minutes earlier than on the 1st of July. His change in declination since June 20th, beginning of summer, till August 31st, will be a little over 15°, and the decrease in the length of the day for the same time, will be a trifle less than two hours. He will come to the meridian on the 1st, at six minutes and two seconds after 12:00; on the 15th at four minutes and eight seconds after 12:00; and on the 30th at sixteen seconds after 12:00. On the same dates he will rise at 4:58, 5:11, and 5:26 a. m., and set at 7:14, 6:57, and 6:35 p. m. Daybreak will occur at 3:05, 3:23, and 3:44 a. m., and twilight will end at 9:07, 8:45, and 8:16 p. m. Greatest elevation in latitude 41° 30′ will be 66° 18⅔′.
THE MOON’S
Phases occur in the following order and time: Full moon on the 6th, at 5:58 p. m.; last quarter on the 13th, at 10:00 p. m.; new moon on the 20th, at 4:46 p. m.; and first quarter on the 28th, at 10:34 a. m. The moon rises on the 15th at 12:39 a. m.; and sets on the 1st and 31st at 12:30 and 12:43 a. m., respectively. On the 16th at 11:00 a. m., nearest the earth; on the 28th, at 5:30 p. m., farthest from the earth. Its greatest elevation, 67° 4′, occurs on the 15th, and its least, 29° 50.8′ on the second day of the month.
MERCURY
Reaches its greatest elongation east (27° 21′), very nearly its maximum distance from the sun; yet the opportunity for observation is not so favorable as on many occasions when the elongation is several degrees less. And the reason is, that the planet is now moving southward, is in fact on the 23rd, the date of its greatest eastern elongation, 1° 16′ south, while the sun is still 11° 9′ north of the equator, and sets, therefore, only about fifty minutes later than the sun. The time of the planet’s setting is for the 1st, 8:07 p. m.; 15th, 7:53 p. m.; 30th, 7:16 p. m. It has a direct motion of 32° 49′ 39″. Its diameter increases 2.6″, namely, from 5.6″ to 8.2″. It is farthest from the sun on the 20th, at 6:00 a. m. On the 23d, at 8:00 a. m., 3° 5′ south of Uranus.