The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-07-05
THE HEAVENS IN JULY.
Unusual Stellar Attractions During
the Evening Hours Of the
Current Month.
Venus and Mars Dispute the
Prize for Brilliant
Beauty.
Mercury and Neptune, Nearest and FAR
thest of Planets, Bright stars of Norm
ing-Near the Sun.

While the torrid temperature of July is
ordinarily supposed to discourage star-gaz-
ing, vet it is only fair to say that the even
ing hours of the month this year present
more than their usual share of attractions.
saws the Globe Democrat. There will be
two full moons in Jnly, 1890, dist;ne-
ton which no other month in the year en-
joys. Throughout most of the month, too,
all the CONSPICUOUS planets will be IN the
field of vision at or soon after the close OF
the evening twilight and remain in view
from two to seven or eight hours, and in
eyery case will be in position favorable for
observation. The only planets which will
be out of the evening sky are Mercury ana
Neptune the nearest and the remotest OF
the members Of the solar family. Both
rise Just before the sun now, and fill the
role Of morning stars. Mercury, however,
will get over on the other side of the sun
before the month ends, and those gifted
with sharp vision and who know the exact
SPOT where to look for it may be able TO
catch glimpse of this elusive orb IN the
west near the horizon in the closing days OF
the month half an hour after the sun goes
down.
over all the globe north of the equator ana
the nights at or near their snortess.
Nine days before the close OF June me sun;
in its apparent 1865 days swing around
the earth, reached the northernmost
point in its journey, and for q few
DAYS. when the summer solstice, or
sulfs standing place, was entered ~ seemeo
to pause before turning m lts course,
southward. On the 21st of June the daysin
the latitude of St. Louis we're nearly fifteen
honrs in length and the nights nine hours.
On the first day of July the days will have
shortened and the nights heightened about
five minutes as compared Win tne ea1llof
date.
In the opening DAVIS Of July the earth will
be at it's farthest from the sun. The solar
orb, on the second day of the month, wlll
be about 1900, 600 miles farther away than
it was around the beginning OF last yanua.
~. OF than it will be near the beginning Of
next January. The part of circle which
the sun describes now in its apparent move
,nent daily from east to west is larger
than this was six months ago, the time
which that orb remains above the horizon
is greater than this was then, and lts re-
fall more nearly directly on the northerly
half of the earth than was the case at the
earlier date. These are the determining
conditions in the matter, and mnoh more
than compensate for the increased distance
of the orb from which the heat enanates.
starry hosts for July are fairly divided be-
tween Venus and Mars. Saturn is still to
be seen but it has vacated it's post of prom
inence and does not attract the attention
which it commanded for months past up TO
within two or three weeks ago. The ringed
planet is lower in the west at the close Of
evening twilight than it was in the middle
of June, and sets earlier. It remains in the
consteliation of the Lion, in close proxim-
ity to its old companion Regulus, the lead
ing orb in that stas group. In August Sat
urn will set with the sun and vanish from
the evening sky until the closing weeks OF
the year.
western armament any of these evenings
bet 1een o'clock and $50 will see, .aashort
1ul object. This is Venus, the planetary
queen the loveliest and most brilliant Of
all the orbs of heaven, when at her bright
est, save the sun and moon. Venus can be
seen before sunset. She has been seen BY
the unaided eye even whensthe sun was
strong vision who knew the points in within
to look for her. At the beginning OF July
Venus will be above the horizon until 9:4e,
but at the end of the month she will set
half an hour earlier: y,
Over in the southeast, where Mars has
been seen throughout the past few weeks
just after sunset, this panel is still to be
discerned. It is farther to the west, how
ever, and higher above the horizon than it
has been before in the present season at the
same hour in the evening. ;. About an honr
to the south, and nearly half way between
the horizon and the zenith. Next to Venus,
Mars is the most striking and beautiful orb,
always excepting the moon, which will be
visible at sunset in 9he opening days OF July.
earth now. This is a close approach, as the
planet of war is only about 5000, 600 miles
farther from us than it was thirteen years
ago, when it's two moons were discovered
by Prof. Hall, of Washington. Those who
have been for the past few weeks closely
to the eastward, in the Scorpion, have no.
ticed that Mars has been moving west
with respect to that orb. At the close of
the first week in July Mars will turn to the
east, and about the middle of August
that planet and Antares will be near each
line.
After the close of July another planet will
challenge Venus and Mars to q contest for
supremacy among the starry hosts: The
orb alluded to is Jupiter. At the beginning
of July Jupiter will rise about 9o O'Clock
the month it will come into view at sunset.
The giant planet rises in the southeast, Gull
inmates in the south, like Mars, and, fol-
lowing the latter, will set in the southwest
Jupiter is still in the constellation OF the
Goat.
lQeSe are the most interesting OF the
planets which fill the role of ''eveninK
stars" during July. Uranus. however, will
also be in view in the constellation of the
Virgin about four degrees northeast of
Spica, the bright star of the group. which
will be in the south at sunset. Uranus is
not at all conspicuous, and will have to be
looked for closely to be seen.
The moon. which fulls on July 2, which
reaches its new stage on the 18th, and which
is again full on the 31st, will be in con-
junction with Jupiter on the 4th, with Sat-
urn on the 18th, with Venus on the 2Oth.
with Mars on the 9th. and with
Jupiter once more on the 31st. The
second approach of the moon to Jupiter
will be the closest of all these
phenomena for the month, Luna, when at
its nearest being about ~ degrees from
the planet. the planet being the farther TO
the north. A degree in angular measure
ment is equal to about twice the apparent
diameter Of the full moon.
An interesting conjunction between
planets will take place on the 7th. On that
day Venus passes near Saturn. The DIS
lance separating them when at their
closest to each other will be but tenth Of
degree, Venus being the farther to the
south at the time.
The conspicuous stars of July are ReQn-
lus, spica, Arcturus, Vega, Deneb. Affair
and Antares. Soon after sunset, at the be-
ginning of the month, Regulus will be
found near Saturn in the west, little
above the horizon, Spica in the south, Arc
turus close to the zenith, Vega east of the