Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-01-04

THE BRIGHTEST STARS yISIBLE-PERIODIC vARIA.
TONS OF ALGOL. MARS AND SATURN


TIONS OF ALGOL, MARS AND SATURN.
During January and February the heavens
present the most interesting views TO the
naked eye. Nearly all Of the brightest stars
and the most beautiful consultations are above
the horizon the greater part OF the long nights
The glittering orbS which guided the ancient
modern times have been enabled to make oceans
Z" the highways OF nations" can all be traced
without the assistance of the telescope the first
months OF the year.
About the middle of January Capelia. the
principal star i'm Auriga, will be neariy ovar
head at 10 O'Clock. At the same time Her1lus
In Leo VIII be almost due east about 255 above
the horizon. Betelguex ard Rigel. the bright
est stars in Orion, viii be nearer the meridian
and In the northeast by north the stars com
pplSlbg 1he Dlpper In the Great Bear may an.
pear, "nle the PleiadeS. Hy AIDES Castor poi,
lux, and the diamond of Pegasus can All ha
tIaceu IN The nocturnal sky In addition To
.iese TIE most interesting OF the variable stars
IN 76s Ia tle lead OF Medusa, may be observed
III lne northwest. about CO. high The chances
~ Ihe brightness of the star when near
no 'ltG .IiiitS OF It's greatest dnneSS can
1 p9 iot ts win the unaded eye. and it is
Said mat the French Astronomer Ialande
was In the habit OF lingering on some of
ane piluSeS over the Seine and directing the
Az ,en i1 or the passershy to the varati09s in
.iie uSht Oh thlS nocturnal sun. In about three
anu PAN hours Algol passes from a star Of the
sSCoho magnitude TO one OF the fourth CON-
o,i,aes ieSs brilliant for about fifteen minutes
ana In three and a half hours returns 10 its
IUrinef brightness, which il retains for n nprtod
oi DelWeen sixty and Sixty-one hours Whv
tS sse oanges occur are questions which scien-
ti i9 cannot 1uiiy answer. Some have SuDolsed
them TO be caused by a semf-ODanue ba1y n, SS
ing at regular intervals around the star, Vale
-, Le[s, WIN greater probability, have advanced
tne theory that one portion OF Alrol is less In
minouS than the rest. and that bY the rec,im
tion OF that body on its axis the darker n1rTs
are turned at stated periods toward the eirfh
IL llis is the real cause of the phenomenon it
SHOWS That those distant suns, like the central
iuGnpary OF the solar system revOlye on an
ANS. ana IL also affords another proof OF the
similarity between those orbS, which irrailate
ne shy ana the great source OF light and heat
10 the earth
Eufing January Venus will increase in bril-
nancy as the evening star, and Jupiter. which
mas shown with such beauty during the autumn
VIII at the close of the month be near its con
junction with the sun, and viii not appear
again as evening star until september.
saturn, though one of the most interesting of
me planets when viewed through the tee-
scope; reveals none of those wonders TO the
naked eye which puzzled Calico. and which
Huyghens half century later found to be- due
10 rings surrounding the planet. Mars watch
eighteen months ago attracted so much atfen-
ton by the discovery of its moons, is Gradually
increasing It's distance from the earth, and II be-
coming less conspicuous. No planet eXhfb - n
greater difference in brilliancy than Mars when
III opposition TO the sun, and when nelrs its
con junction with that iurnnarv when n IT'S
least distance from the earth this planet mas
been examined with more success than any
other OF the heavenly bodies. Numerous draw
lngS OF the appearances presented by its surface
nave hcen mace, and striking proofs have been
obtained OF resemblance in the climatic
Changes III rain and STOW and in long narrow
eXpanseS Of water similar to what is observed
on the globe which forms the residence OF man
But While the earth mag be regarded as humid
planet. tWO-thiTdS Of its surface being covered
by water, at least one-haf OF tie area OF Mars
IS Cry land. It's period Of rotation on its axis
or It's day, is nearly the same as a day on the
earth: but its year. or period OF revolution
around the sun, is almost equal to two years on
tie earth The seasons, therefore. on Mars are
ABOUT double the length OF those witnessed by
the Inhabitants OF This SublunaTy sphere
tPr0CiGsn nee J0urHaL