THE ASTRONOMY OF 1881.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2486, 9 March 1881, Page 4

THE ASTRONOMY OF 1881.

After the taste given for astronomy by Mr Proctor’s visit, our readers may be interested by the following paragr ph from the “ New York Sun” on the astronomical events of 1881: —“ The sky will not present such a brilliant pageant again this century as it does during the present year. Among the phenomena are a remarkable series of conjunctions, and double and triple conjunctions. The most interesting of these is the great twenty-year conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in April. As this conjunction occurs in the sign Taurus, which astro-

logers say rules Turkey and Ireland, they feel safe on account of recent occurrences, in predicting very momentous effects in those countries from the conjunction. There will also be a conjunction of Jupiter and Mars, Venus and Jupiter, Saturn and Yenus, and the far away giants Uranus and Neptune, will play a part in this remarkable planetary levee. Yenus will reach her greatest brightness, and her delicate crescent should be a favourite object in the amateur astronomer’s telescope. Saturn opens wider its wonderful rings and Jupiter is remarkably brilliant. Wars will begin to brighten in the latter part of the year, and then his snowy poles and shadowy continents will again become the admiration of those who gaze through telescopes. In short, there will be no end of attractions in the starry heavens, and all the prognostications of sooth-sayers will not be able to darken the sky of 1881.”