The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-07-16
RS "a loss to distinguish the planets from the fixed

loss to distinguish the planes from the nxet
stars
The planets visible to the naked eye will
during the month, be all in the morning sky
and their onunctions and evolutions will b,
well worth witnessing. On the 9th, Mars anC
Saturn will be IN conjunction; on the 14th
Mars and Neptune; on the 22d, Mars and Ju
piter. In the latter part of the month thu
moon will pass near Jupiter, Mars, Neptune
Saturn and Venus In succession, making {
splendid spectacle.
But the chief interest in this gathering OF
the planets for the possessOr OF a telescope Ii
in the opportunity 1t gives for seeing and com
pairing all these worlds within the space of q
few minutes. After viewing Mars. with his
snowy poles ana reddlsh-hued continents, the
observer in half minute, can have in the
field of his telescope Saturn, with his rings, OF
the huge, belted and spotted disk of Jupiter
with his four round moons, or the splendid
crescent Of Venus, or the green globe Of dis
tant Neptune, which is further from the sun
than some of the comets go.
The Ir ncipal consultations visible IN July
evenings may be recognized by their leading
stars. Everybody knows the Great Bear and
the Little Bear which revolve about the North
Star, and IN this latitude never set The Tyre
which is tabled to lead the music of the
spheres, is nearly overhead about 10 o'clock
and may be known by the brilliant blueish
star Vega, which has two little stars close by
1t, making a small triangle The Eagle is
southeast of the Tyre, and the bright star AL
tair, tlanked on either side by a smaller star
serves to point it out East of the Lyre is the
Northern Cross, which needs no mark to dis.
tlnguish it, as It's form is almost perfect In the
southwest, near the horizon, is the Scorpion,
the most brilliant of the summer conslella.
tons, and easily recognized by It's long, crook
ed form, and by the splendid red star Antares,
which marks the heart. Half way down in
the southwest Is Bootes the Bear driver chas.
ing at the heels of the Great Bear and render
ed conspicuous by the splendor of the great
star Arcturus flaming upon his knee This is
one of the most celebrated stars in the sky,
and it bears the distinction of being the only
star mentioned by name in the Bible. The
fact Is particularly interesting just now that
in 1858 Arcturus attracted the attention of the
whole scientific world because the grand com
ct of that year passed over it, Astronomers
watched the phenomenon with the greatest III
terest in order to determine what effect it
would have upon the appearance of the star.
In the records OF the observatOries may yet he
seen the notes made of the event, reminding
one Of Il battle or an exciting boat race. At
such an hour and minute ArCturus entered the
train of the comet. \ few minutes later il Is
recorded that'ArCurus is in the dark chan
nel,' and llttic later, "ArCturus emerged"
II was triumphant passage for .srCturus.
I'll he had been close to the nucleus of
the most renowned comet of modern times,
hardly Il ray of his glory was dimmed. Since
the present comet has been visible several
small stars have been Occulted by its train
without appearing dimmed. a more striking
proof OF the extreme tenulty of comets tails
can hardly be given.
Nearer the horizon than Arcturus may be
seen a splendid white star This is Spica, the
chief brilliant OF the constellation Virgo.
South Of a line drawn from Vega to Arcturus
is a constellation that the ancient world seems
to have looked upon with sort OF underlined
dread. They gave it no name, like the other
but called it the Mysterious
Phantom, and sometimes The-Man- Upon. His
Knees 1t Is now known as the constellation
Hercules and it may be recognized by rec
tangular figure formed by four rather small
stars. It's curious fact that, according to
the researches Of Ilerschel, the sun in his on.
ward sweep through space is carrying the earth
directly toward this constellation about which
the ancient stargazers threw SO much mex
planned mystery. Above Bootes Is the North
ern Crown, a clrclet of small stars that is readi.
ly recognized. Over in the east, below the
Cross, is the horse Pegasus, marked by large
square figure formed by four stars. Further
in the northeast a row of bright stars repre-.
sents Andromeda chained to the rock, and to
her right is seen the W shaped figure of Cas-
sopeia in her chair
These are the chief consultations visible in
midsummer. Whoever learns to recognize
them will not regret his pains, as that knowl
edge will open up to him store of ancient
legends far more interesting than any modern
besides making him, as Carlyle ex'
pressed ii, at home in the starry heavens"