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Show STAR GAZING IN AUGUST. The constellations in . August evenings are worthy of especial attention by those who are away from the electric illumination of our cities. The beauty of the sky cannot be appreciated in these modern times except in the country, and preferably in the higher altitudes of the mountains. Besides the brilliant planets, Venus and Jupiter in the west and Mars and Saturn in the east, four conspicuous stars are visible in the evening Arcturus in the west, Antars in the south, Vega nearly overhead. Altair, in the east. Early in the month Spica may be seen' low in the southwest, and later in the month Fomalhaut js visible low in the southeast. The most conspicuous star groups are Libra, Scorpio. Sagittarius, Capricomus, Acquarius the zodiacal belts which contains the paths of the sun, moon and planets; Bootes. Corona Borealis, Serepeus, Hercules Her-cules north of the zodiac and west of the meridian; Lyra, Cygnus, Aquila, Delphinus east of the meridian. mer-idian. The northern constellations, always visible, include Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Draco 'and Cassiopeia. Cas-siopeia. The Milky Way is in its best position for study in the second and third weeks of the month, when the moonlight will not interfere. The more it is studied the more does the observer appreciate its picturesqueness and singular beauty. This branch of the Milky Way is very irregular in width, with numerous gap?, and divided into wto quite distinct bands extending the one from Cygnus to Scorpio, the other from Cygnus to Sagattarius. The two bands uni n the northern sky below our horizon. In ike.iXflj evenings of Aygust numerous me- . teors are usually seen, as the earth crosses the path of an enormous ring containing their bodies. The presence of the moon this year will prevent their being seen in as great numbers as in some years. It is highly probable that Ilalley's comet will be telescopically observed this month. It is in the constellation Orion, near the boundary of Gemini, but so far away that the most ' powerful photographic photo-graphic telescopes failed to reveal it last spring. The region has been hidden by the sun's radiance for several months, during which the comet has been growing brighter as it approaches sun and earth. In the early morning before twilight begins this part of the sky may now be seen, and the comet should be detected. It has a period of seventy-five years, and on its previous appearance has often been conspicuous to the naked eye. Records of its observation go back more than nineteen centuries. Whether it will be brilliant or not at this visit cannot can-not new be predicted. For some months after its first detection it will require a .telescope. When nearest he earth and sun, in the spring of 1910, it will be seen for a time in the early evening and for a time in the early morning, usually in twilight, so that it will not be in a specially. favorable position. Boston Transcript. |
