The Visible Planets

is now rapidly approaching the sun, i and will soon becoine invisible. The t planet can be distinguished from a fixed I i star only by its bright red color and the j i fluctuating light which seems to be t culiar to this planet. When near the L horizon it generally keeps up a i ous " twinkling," not unlike that of the stellar orbs. Several eminent ( mers never saw this planet, and Í nicus himself is f-aid to have lamented in his dying moments that he was never able to obtain a glirapse at Mercury. For many evenings the planet Mercury , may be seen after sunset in the western heavens, low down toward the horizon, j VENUS, which has been visible in onr morning ! sky for several months past, will soon ' make her appeai-ance as an " evening star." On Thursday, Sept. 23, Venus , was situated in her superior conjunction , with the sun. This planet is now ( ually receding from that luminary toward the east, and will soon present a magnificent appearance in our evening ' twilight. ' MARS '■ Is now the most conspicuous planet in the heavens. About 9 o'clock in the i evening he may be seen upon the southern heavens in the beautiful , tion Sagittai'ius. His motion is toward the east or direct, and he may be easily reeognized by the reddish light with which he shines. Mars is now plainly visible throughout the entire night. JÚPITER. The "giant planet" Júpiter is at present very unfavorably situated for observation. Friday, November 5th, Jnpiter will be situated in conjunction with the sun, after which he will become visible upon our eastern sky as a "morning star." SAXURN. What has been said of Mars will ap! ply to the planet Saturn, as they are situated only a short distance from eaeh other, Saturn being in Capricornus, the next constellation east from Sagittarius. Saturn sliinos with a palé white light, and will not be mistaken for a fixed star. The rings of Saturn may be perceived through an ordinary astronomical teleBcope. UBANU9 is now in the constellation of Leo, in good positien for telescopio observation, but cannot be perceived by the naked eye unless its exact situation is known. When seen through an instrument of sufficient power the planet will show a sensible disc. It shines like a star of the sixth magnitude, with pale blue light. NEPTUNE. Tbis far off sentinel of the planetary system cannot bo seen with the naked eye. Even by using good telescopes no gatisfactory observations oan be made on this planet at present. It appears as a star of the eighth magnitude, and ono can recognize this orb only by detecting its motion, which is very slow.