(For the Mirror.)
The sun enters the cardinal and tropical sign _Capricorn_ on the 22nd,
attaining his greatest austral declination at 1h. 31m. afternoon.
The moon is in opposition on the 3rd; in apogee on the 6th, and in
conjunction and perigee on the 18th.
Mercury is in perihelion on the 1st, becomes stationary on the 9th, and
reaches his greatest elongation on the 19th, when he may be seen before
sunrise, as well as a few preceding and succeeding mornings; be rises on
the abovementioned day at 6h. 8m.
Venus is in aphelio on the 18th, and in conjunction with the planet
Herschel on the 28th at 9 h. evening; she sets on the 1st at 4 h. 48 m.,
and on the 31st at 5-1/2 h. evening.
Mars rises on the 1st at 3h, 14m., and on the 31st at 2 h. 46 m.
morning.
Jupiter rises on the 1st at 4 h. 39 m. and on the 31st at 3h. morning;
he has now receded far enough from the sun to render the eclipses of his
nearest moon visible; the first immersion will take place on the 3rd at
6 h. 39 m. 4 s. morning; the next on the 19th at 4 h. 54 m. 42 s.
morning, and the last on the 26th at 6 h. 48 m. 14 s. morning, those
being the only ones that happen during the month.
Saturn who commenced retrograding on the 2nd, last month, in 20 deg.
18m. of _Cancer_, will on the 31st have reached 17 deg. 26 m. of the
same sign, and will be found a few degrees below the star _Pollux_ in
the constellation _Gemini_, rising on the 1st at 6h. 49m., and on the
31st at 4 h. 27 m. evening.
Herschel culminates on the 1st at 3 h. 23m., and on the 31st at 1 h. 17
m.
_Fomalhaut_ in Pisces, a star of the first magnitude, and very much
resembling the planet Saturn, (except that its light is not so steady,)
will be observed only a few degrees above the horizon in the south west,
coming to the meridian at 6 h. 19 m. evening; _Markal_ in the wing of
Pegasus, the flying horse at 6 h. 26 m. _Alpheratz_ and _Mirach_, the
former in the head, and the latter in the girdle, of Andromeda at 7 h.
31 m. and 8 h. 31 m. _Menkar_ in the jaw of _Cetus_ the whale at 10 h.
24 m.; the four preceding are of the second magnitude. The _Pleiades_
south at 11 h. 8m., and _Aldebaran_ in Taurus, generally called the
Bull's Eye, a brilliant star of the first magnitude at 11 h. 56 m.; the
upper or northern portion of the constellation _Orion_ at 12-1/2 h., and
the lower or southern part at 1 h. morning.
These remarks cannot be better concluded, than by calling the attention
of the readers of the MIRROR to the unerring regularity of the motion of
the heavenly bodies. Though their magnitude is so immense, the certainty
and correctness of their movements during thousands of years, is far
more exact than that of the best chronometer ever made, even during a
single year: how great, then, must be the ignorance of him who does not
behold in them the Almighty ruler of all things; and how great the folly
of him, who says in his heart, and evinces by his conduct that he
believes there is no God. And let him who denies what he cannot
comprehend, be addressed in the impressive language of holy writ, "Canst
thou bind the sweet influences of the Pleiades, or loose the bands of
Orion? Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou
guide Arcturus with his Sons?" 14_th November_, 1827. PASCHE.
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