| Show MARS AT HIS NEAREST POINT TO THE EARTH TODAY E M CONVERSE in the boston ret heral ald has bag the following in relation to mars mare now the prevailing topic both for astronomers anil and newspapers mars is morning star until aug 4 and then evening star he stands foremost on the august list for his grand opposition with the sun occurs on the ath at lh ih A M the ruddy planet then rises in the southeast southia st just as the ibe sun sets in the northwest he looks down from the meridian at midnight and continues to be visible until his light is quenched in the slow glow of the approaching sun nothing more can be said to draw attention to the favorable conditions for observing our celestial neighbor when circumstances bring him comparatively near to the terrestrial domain I 1 or to the importance of making the most of the opportunity for the closest examination of his surface southern astronomers see him to better advantage but northern astronomers have larger telescopes time will determine where the greater honess will be won every one will earnestly wish that the sky may be free from clouds and the atmosphere clear and pure when marp marc marvelous in size and brilliant in color bends low in the heavens and invites invite a closer view of the features that diversity his surface and bring into service the highest physical and mental powers of observers who long to know more of this thi I 1 1 s interesting planet and some of whom a are r imaginative enough even to hope for proof of the existence of c conscious life mars at opposition on the ath is miles from theearta the earth he comes nearer on the ath when he is miles away the distance between the two planets increases after the ath As in july he was approaching the earth and growing larger and more brilliant so in august he will be receding and decreasing in size and lustre he nearly reaches perihelion in the present month which v ill give august observers an advantage mars is retrograding or moving westward as those who carefully note his path in the heavens may imay easily see the right ascension of mars on the lot is in his declination is 23 deg south his diameter is sec and he is in the constellation mars rises on the lat at ah pm on the he sets at ab am |
