Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-03
THE SKIES FOR NOVEMBER.
Tho Sun Slowing Up Several Import
ant Celestial Events.

The Sun Slowing Up Several Import
ant Celestial Events.
| The speed Of the sun slackens noticexbiy dur
ing November, says the New Yr& ,Tises, ithess
being only an increase Of 70 III soufherly dec
lination for the month, Sc Of which occur In the
hrst ten days The daylight is diminished by
an hour, as 1t is ten and a half hours in length
today and only nine and q half on tho 30th.
Inc sign OF Sagittarius, or the archer, in which
the sun now travels, symbolizes the hunting
season.
Inc November phases of the moon begin
with the last quarter on the 4th, new moon on
the 18th, first quarter on the 18th and full
moon on the Goth. The coniunctions for the
month begin with visit to Saturn on the 7th,
Uranus on the 10th, Mercury on the 18th,
venus on the 14th, Jupiter on the 18th and
Mars on the same day. None Of these 10 very
close, but on the 18th, when the three heavenly
bodies are together, the picture will be lovely,
IS the sweet regent Of the sky will be in cres-
cent shape and the two planets will be only ten
minutes apart.
] partial eclipse Of the moon will take place
| on the 26th, which will not be visible in this
latitude, but can be seen in Asia, India and on
| the Pacific. Only little piece Of the moon is
obscured, the part in shadow being only .0O5 OF
/ Its surface. 1t will perhaps be noticed that
the moon is at its full the date of the eclipse,
and it is only when in that phase that an eclipse
| Is possible. The moon being illuminated by the
light OF the sun, the earth coming in between the
two cuts of the SUMS rays and forms shadow.
AS the moon enters the shadow n portion OF her
| surface seems to be cut off and to disappear
entirely, and her visible portion continually
grows smaller until, in case of total eclipse,
her whole disk is immersed in the shadow. In
about half Of the lunar eclipses the moon passes
30 far above or below the center OF the shadow
that part Of her body is in it and part outside
at the time of greatest eclipse. This is called
partial eclipse Of the moon. The magnitude
of a partial eclipse used to be measured by the
ancient astronomers in digits. The diameter
| OF the solar or lunar disk was divided into
twelve parts or digits. and the surface cut of
by tho shadow was said to be so many digits
The general Interpretation of the saying that
| the body was eclipsed four digits for example,
was that one-third of the surface, and not one
third OF the diameter, was eclipsed. In this
case, from the time the moon first enters the
outer shadow, or penumbra, until it leaves,
there is an interval of more than four hours.
the time in the deepest shadow being seventeen
minutes.
At the beginning Of the month Venus, Mars
and Jupiter are evening stars; Neptune, Saturn,
Uranus and Mercury morning stars. While
greater in number, the brilliancy of the latter
group does not compare with that of the former
as Saturn is the only that is at all attractive.
Early risers will find him in the morning in the
eastern sky, about four hours before the dark
is trimmed with q length of bright horizon. The
size of the rlnged planet is gradually increasing
and as he gets to our meridian two hours earlier
at the close of the month than at its beginning,
before the end Of the year we shall see his
serene yellow light shining in the eastern sky
some time before midnight. Saturn is to be
found in the constellation of the Lion in about
7 degrees north latitude.
Uranus and the far distant Neptune are in
the morning group, the former in the constel-
lation OF Virgo, not very far from Mercury, the
two having just been IN conjunction. Uranus
Is moving further to the westward away from
the sun, and now rises about $50 in the morn
ing. The distance however, separating the
two is so small that the planet cannot be dis
tinguished in the silvery brightness that illu-
mines the eastern clouds. Neptune is again to
Bull. which will serve to find his position. as
his distance is beyond the reach of human
vision and We are never allowed to see him,
although he is one-half the size Of Saturn and
almost five times as large as Venus.
Mercury is retracing his steps toward the
sun, and is now no longer in favorable posi-
ton for us to see him. We shall not be allowed
to see him again without the use of telescope
until next year. He is to be found about five
degrees north Of the sun at present, distance
lessened by two degrees at the end Of the
month. Mercury is in conjunction with the
moon on the 18TH but as this is the day of new
moon we shall not be able to witness the
meeting.
In spite Of the beauties of Venus, a greater
portion Of the interest in the evening planets
centers in the meeting between Jupiter and
Mars. 1t has been an interesting thing to watch
these two planets as they slowly decrease the
distance that separates them. and this will be
intensified as the time draws nearer the period
OF onjuncticn. The presence OF the moon will
add greatly to the lovelnes, of the tableau,
which, when 1t closes, will find Mars to the east
ward of Jupiter. Unfortunately for thorough
enjoyment of this rare picture. to which Venus,
Jupiter the crescent moon. and Mars all con-
tribute, the last nam sd body has now drawn SO
far away from us as no longer to appear so i'm
portant as we once considered him. Mars is
moving rapidly north, and is in the coustella-
ton of Sagittarius He comes to our meridian
just after the sun sets, getting there earlier and
earlier as the month advances.
Jupiter has just passed the point of
quadrature with the sun and is in fine posi-
ton for telescope observation. especially in re-
gard to tho eclipses of his satellites According
to the best determinations the dameters OF the
satellites of Jupiter range between 1920 and
$500 miles, the volume OF the smallest of the
four being very near that OF our moon. The
light of these satellites, which it has been de-
clared can sometimes be seen by the naked eye,
varies to an extent which it is difficult to ac-
count for except by supposing, very violent
changes constantly in progress on their surfaces.
them, like our moon. always present the same
face toward their planet and that the changes
in their brillancy are due to differences in the
color OF the parts Of the satellites which are
successfully turned toward US during one revo-
luton around their planet. But the careful
measures of the light made by eminent as
tronomers scarcely bear out this hypothesis
which, it Is held, can hardly account for the
changes of brilliancy, which are sometimes
sudden to a surprising degree.
Venus is at present the brightest Of the 8, 900
stars that stud the sky. Even the broad sun
light does not entirely shut her out from view,
and the full moon scarcely dims her luster She
has just reached her period of greatest brill
fancy, but there will be no perceptble diminu-
ton of her light for several weeks to come as
her diameter is increasing as she comes nearer
the earth. Venus and the moon arc in conjunc-
ton on the 14th, but they are too far separated
for scenic effect, although they are sufficiently
near for the brightness to be compared. The
planet il about entering the constellation Of the
Scorpion.
The constellation should claim considera-
BILE share Of attention and admiration, as there
are some very prominent stars to be seen Just
at present on q clear moOnless night. Vega,
with two lesser lights, about two degrees apart
forms an equllateral triangle near the zenith
The more northerly of these two lesser lights is
the famous star Epsilon, which, when viewed
through telescope, appears as a beautiful
pair OF stars. Look at each OF these through q
powerful glass and again beautiful pair ap-
pears. To the southwark and little to the
westward of Vega are two bright stars in tho
name, fnctuates Every week il fades, and then
rho ind xho