Morning journal and courier., 1881-07-06
Celestial Scenery Of Midsummer.
 [From tha Nav York Sun1

Beside the comet which promises to adorn the circumpolar sky for several weeks, the July nights will possess many attractions for ! those who seek relief from the oppressive heat indoors by strolling in parks and airy places, or who take refuge at the seashore or upon the roofs of the city. There is no more entertaining knowledge than that of the stars Carlyle recognized this, and regretfully ex- | claimed: ''Why did not somebody teach me | the consultations and make me at home in | the starry heavens, which are always over l head, and which I don't half know to this l day?" A night or two of study with 8 star | map in hand will enable anyone to recognize | the principal constellations that are above l the horizon at the time. In little while he | will no longer be at loss to distinguish the planets from the fixed stars.
 | :: The planets visible to the naked eye will \ during the month, be all in the morning sky
 | and their conjunctions and evolutions will be well worth witnessing. On the 9th, Mars | and Saturn will be in conjunction; on the
 I 14th, Mars and Neptune; on the 22d, Mars
 ! and Jupiter. In the latter part of the month
 | the moon will pass near Jupiter, Mars, Nep-
 | tune, Saturn and Venus in succession, mak- | ing a splendid spectacle But the chief in
 | terest in this gathering of the planets for the
 possessor of 8 telescope is in the opportunity
 1 it gives for seeing and comparing all these 1 worlds within the space of 8 few minutes. ! After viewing Mars, with his snowy poles | and reddish-hued continents, the ob- | server, in half minute, can have in the field of his telescope Saturn, with his rings, or the huge. belted and spotted disk of Jupiter and his four round moons, or the splendid cres- cent of Venus, or the green globe of distant Neptune, which is further from the sun than some of the comets 90. The principal 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 Norfh oI,6 i1,k sE,,la 1o& The Tyre, which is fabled 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 it, making small triangle. The Eagle is southeast of the Tyre, and the bright
 star Altair, fanked on either hand by 8 smaller star, serves to point it out. East of the Tyre is the Northern Cross, which needs no mark to distinguish it, as its form is al most perfect. In the southwest, near the horizon, is the Scorpion, the most brilliant of the summer cancellations, and easily rec ogniz-d by it's long, crooked form, and by the splendid red star Antares, which marks the heart. Half way down in the southwest is Bootes, the Bear driver, chasing
 at the heels of the Great Bear, and rendered conspicu ous 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 be- lnB lu0 only SIdE m0nL1OneQ Dy name ID the Bible. The fact is particularly interesting just now that in 1858 Arcturus attracted the attention of the whole scientific world be- cause the grand comet of that year passed over it. Astronomers watched the phenome- non with the greatest interest, in order to determine what effect it would have upon the appearance Of the star. In the records of the observatories may yet be seen the notes | made of the event, reminding one of an &C., count of a battle or an exciting boat race. At such an hour and minute Arcturus entered | the train of the comet. few minutes later 1t is recorded that s'Arcturus is in the dark channel" and little later, 'sArcturus emerged" It was a triumphant passage for Arcturus Although he had been close to the ! nucleus of the most renowned comet of mod ern times, hardly 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 tenuity of | comets tails could hardly be given. Near
 CT the horizon than Arcturus may be seen a splendid white star. This is Spica, the chief brilliant of the constellation Virgo. South of line drawn from Vega to Arcturus is constellation that the ancient world seems to have looked upon with sort of undefined dread They gave it no name, like the other consultations, but called it the | Mysterious Phantom, and sometimes The Man Upon -His-Knees It is now known as | the constellation Hercules, and it may be
 recognized by rectangular figure formed by | four rather small stars. It is curious fact ! that, according to the researches of Herschel,
 the sun in his onward sweep through space | is carrying the earth directly toward this constellation about which the ancient star gazers threw so much unexplained mystery. Above Bootes is the Northern Grown, a
 circlet of small stars that is readily recog- ! nized. Over in the east, below the Cross, is I the horse Pegasus, marked by large square l figure formed by four stars. Further in the | northeast a TOW of bright stars represents Andronleda chained to the rock, and to her | right is seen the W-shaped figure of Cassie peia in her chair. These are the chief cancellations visible in
 mid d-summer. Whoever learns to recognize | them will not regret his pains as that knowl- | edge will open up for him store of ancient l legends far more interesting than any mod ! ern romances, besides making him, as Car 1 lyle expresses it, 'sat home in the starry | haouanS