The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1879-12-11
THE WINTER SKIES.
these Clear Nights
IRON the Indfanapolis Journal

tEIOHf tle liAuttldiOllb JONIIdl.I
Those who wish to become familiar
with the winter consultations should
make Observations now, so that they
may note the changes that win occur by
| next spring, and also that they may
| learn some of the consultations that
viii soon disappear in the west.
The milky way, or galaxy, passes
through the heavens from the northeast
point of the horizon to the southwest.
1t passes to the north of the zenith. 1t
may be seen to be double in the south
western portion.
Along the line of this dense path of
stars are located several well marked
IsconstellatiOus. In the northeastern
portion, just rising, is Auriga, marked
by five bright stars forming a large ir-
regular pentagon; the brightest of these
is the beautiful star Capella. Next in
the line of the galaxy, toward the
zenith, is an arc of stars marking Per-
seus. Above Perseus, just east of the,
meridian and north of the zenith, is
Cassiopeia, marked by five stars in the
form of rude NJ or w. Some dis
tance to the west of Cassiopeia, in the
galaxy, is the Great Cross. or Cyngus,
marked by three bright and two pale
stars, arranged in the form of Latin
cross. Further on, in the southern pOr-
ton Of the double part of the galaxy, is
a bright star, Affair, having a paler
star on either side of it, equally distant
from it. These mark Aquila. Not far
from Aquila, toward the zenith, is To-
Gated a small rhombus or diamond
shaped figure, locating the dolphin, fre--
quently spoken of as Jobs coffin. Sag
ittrius has just passed into the haze of
the southwestern horizon
just north of the western portion of
the galaxy is the star Vega, the princi-
pal startof Lyra.f Vega and sCapella, or
Auriga, are located on opposite sides of
the north star, equally distant from it.
They are OF the same magnitude, and
at this hour are of the same altitude.
Ursa Major is low down Ia the northern
horizon. Ufsa- Minor extends from the
north star toward the western point of
the hOrizOn.r Draco -oecHpiese the large
space in the northwest, unmarked by
any conspicuous stars. Hercules and
the serpent-bearer occupy the region in
the west below Vega.
o. Face the east and no one can fail to
identify the planet Mars, the very large
red star, midway between the eastern
horizon and the zenith. Mars is in the
constellation Taurus. just to the left
of Mars are the Pleiades (ssven stars) !;
on the shoulder of Taurus, and below
the Pleiades, one-third the distance to
the horizon, are the Hyades in the face
of Taurus. The Hyades are marked by
five stars forming the letter A, The
brightestlof these is Aldebaran.
Face the south and the great planet
Jupiter is recognized, having passed the
meridian nearly an hour before Mid
way between Mars and Jupiter is a sill
very star, much fainter than either of
them, but much brighter than any star
near it. This is the planet Saturn.
Saturn is in the constellation Pisces.
The two fish are on either side of Saturn,
the one midway between Mars and
Saturn, the other midway between Ju-
piter and Saturn. They are not marked
by bright stars. Jupiter is in Aquarius.
JustinOrth of Jupiter is small triangle
of stars with star in the center. These
locate the urn of Aquarius. On the east
of Jupiter great number of small stars
form the Southern River, and bright
star just south of Jupiter is in the eye of
the Southern Fish. Pegasus is in the
zenith, located by four stars that form
the Great Square. Andromeda is
marked by the brightest OF the four stars
in thersquare, and three others extend
II L
nebula of Andromeda is Immediately in
the zenith, and upon clear, dark night
is quite distinctly seen as a tiny mist or
cloud.
The first hour circle, from which right
ascension is reckoned, is line passing
through the north star, the westerly star
Of CassiOpeia, and the two easterly stars
! of the Great Square. This circle marks
the verna1 equinox by its intersection
with the equinoxial. 1t comes to the
meridian at 9 O'Clock.
| The line OF the equinoxial, which is
the intersection of the plane of the
earth's equator with the sky, passes
from the due east point to the west.
! Saturn is very near It, Jupiter is south
of it, Mars is north of it.
II Is desirable that those who wish to
learn to fSeate stars and consultations
learn the location of these lines. In
trying to learn the consultations, be-
come familiar with a few of the most
conspicuous groups, and keeping these
well in mind it win be easy to learn the
more obscure.
BY 10 O'clock, two hours later, the
consultations mentioned will have
moved so degrees toward the west. In
the east Gemini viii have riseu just
north of the east point, and Orion will
have risen to the sOuth-of. the east point.
! The Dog star viii be Just on the hoTi-
zon nearly due east. By midnight the
heavens win have assumed all the
grandeur displayed by the early even