Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-01-04
The Fgeaveas Ia January.

l'ilGI teuSty Gua Ito:H''S WI '"-'"'-"
present the ncss Interesting 7..1s 20 ihe Eaksd
eye. Nearly all Ct the Brightest stsTs All tie
most beautiful corste.'icns arc ahyy2 ,.iJ iInr-
IL 20 the greater part OF the long n:gh'2. ire
giitte!ing crbs WEca guided To. accent a.l-
nars, aod h3 which tho Da1lgst3!s Of nnJhe'n
liuce have been cusi'icd t. :u-ko oaea5s THE
highways of natioba," can al ts traced without
the assistarc, Of the telescope tho list mGnihs
Of the year.
Abou. tho middle Of January Ispslia, The
principal star 10 h1!ss, viii b. uerr:2 over
head st 10 o'clock. At !ne same tiaJe Hean.
!us 10 Leo will 5e almost due ca-t abiut %
above the horizon. Bstesusz ard tsiSel, toe
briehtes: stars 10 Ori9u. will BE- neac be ne
rediau. and ia The northeast b pcTth he s'aIs
cou5lisios the Dipper ia ito GTca: Dea' may
appear, while the P'eiadss. lIyadcs, Cls:or,
PolIux and tho diamond CT Pegasus aaa a! To
traced in tho nocturnal sSs. II addition To
these the most Interesting OF lh3 7siiiJc eta:s.
Aiso!, in The head cf Medns:, ta:y Is Observed
10 the northwest, about CO. high. Tie caauges
in The brightness Of us s:aI when bear 10 tje
times Of its greatest Gimres; Ola BE- noticed
With tic auaided eye, and it is said thas the
French astronomer Lalapdn was 10 tho hail: OF
lipsc.iog en- soue 0E toe b;i is:s over the Seine
EUu C!tCCuUS lIlC ulkCullOl- III TIC P-ssStD W
the variations 10 The light o. thisnpc:uraa e1n.
10 about ihree ard baiS hli!7s 5IgO, passes
from star Of the sccood rDaaui,u9, re ouc Of
tbs fourth, continues less hIl!iaa: iHf about
fifteen minutes, aud 10 three cid = h,i: ;ioa;s
retrrcs to its former bi;2hnes5. which itfetsias
for period OF between siSiT aud sixty onc
hours. Why these changes cc.a! SO qGas-
tioos uhich scientists cinno, fully susy.r, Sore
have supposed tGeu 70 be caused hg semi
Opaque body passug at regular intervals around
the S.a., while others, with grcs.rr prohchi',
have adVaoced the theory th1t one portion 0!
Alcol is less luminous thRp ;he resi-. aaG Tat
by The revolution Of that bcdy CO lis pxs tie
da,krr parts are turned az stated DeIiota to.
ward the Garth. If this il he zeal ;su3e OF ito
phenomeuop, it shows that those distant suoa,
like the ccpsraI iumisary CT tde solar system,
revoIve on az sSis. scd it a!so affords another
proof of the similarity between thoso CRIBS,
which irradidate the sky snd tic grest source
of light and heat to he Garth.
During January TenIs will increase 10 ciii-
fancy as the evening star. aud Jupiter, which
has shown With such beauty during the autuno,
will at the close oil the month pc GEAR rs coz
JUNCTION With the SUD. Ard will cot appear c2ain
as evening stsr until September.
Slturu. though one Of the most iBterest;og
of tbs planets when viewed through tho tcGc-
scope, reveals bono Of those wonders to the
naked eye which puzzled Calico and which
Huygheps half q century later found 70 be duo
to rings surrounding tho planet. Mars, wEioh
eighteen months sgo attracted 60 much a.teb-
ton by the discovery OF its moons. is gradually
Increasing it's distance from the earfb, and Is
becoming les, conspicuous. No planet exhibits
a greater difference 10 brilllsroY Lban Mars
when 10 opposition to the suu, and Vhen near
its cocjuuclion with that !umina1Y. When az
its least distance from the earth this p!a0et has
been examined With more success than apy
other OF the heavenly bodies Numerous draw
logs Of the appearances presented By iis .ur
fscs have been made. and Striking proofs have
been ob,sined Of q resem5lauce 10 the clIclaric
changes 10 rain and soo8 aud 10 Iorg naTrow
c1pauses of water similar u what i. Observed
on the globe which forns tie residences Of Dan.
But while The earth may be regarded as hu
uid planet, tso thirds of i'5 surface beiog cog
cred By water, at least one half If the area ct
Mars is dry lsod. Us pcriad OF rotation 90 l;s
axis, or its day, is ncar;y the saGe fs day ca
the esr:h; but lis year. or period OF Teg':Gt:Go
around the sue, Is almost equal to two years co
the earth. The scasoDs, therefore, 90 Msra arc
about double the length Of those witnessed b.
tho inhahi'aDts OF this su5!uaary Sphere
PHILADELPHIA Tines