Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-01
THE SKY IN JULY.
Two Full Moons and Many Beautiful
Consultations.


From the 81 Louis Globe Democrat
while the torrid temperature Of July il or.
dinarily supposed to discourage star-gazing
yet it Is only fair to say that the evening hour
OF the month this year present more than theft
usual share of attractions. There will be two
full moons in July, 1890, distinction which NJ
other month of the year enjoys. Throughout
most OF the month. too, all the conspicu OUT
planets will be in the field Of vision at or soor
after the close of the evening twilight and re-
main In view from two to seven or eight hours
and in every case will be in position favorable
Tor observation. The only planets which will
be out Of the evening sky are Mercury and
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 morn
ing stars. Mercury, however, will get over on
the other side Of the sun before the month
ends, and those gifted with sharp vision and
VINO know the exact spot where to look for j,
may be able to catch glimpse of this elusive
ORD III the west near the horizon in the closing
DAYS OF the month half an hour after the sun
goes down.
The days are now at or near their longest
over an OF the globe north of the equator and
.he nights at or near their shortest. Nine days
before the close of June the sun, in its APP
parent S6o days swing around the earth,
reached the northernmost point in its journey,
and for few days, when the summer solstice,
or suns standing place, was entered, 1t seemed
to pause before turning in its course and be-
ginning its six months march to the south
ward. On tho 2lst of June the days in the
latitude OF ST. Louis were nearly fifteen hours
IN length and the nights nine hours. On the
ISL day OF July the days will have shortened
ana tho nights heightened above five minutes
as compared with the earlier date.
1aya nf Iuly fba l,o
at us iarthest point from the sun. The. solar
orb on the second day of the month will be
abont 5000 600 miles farther away than il was
around the beginning of last January or than
~ VIII be near the beginning of next January
Ihe part OF circle which the sun describes
now In It's apparent movement daily from east
10 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 its
rays fall more nearly directly GU the northerlv
half OF the earth than the case at the earlier
date. These are the determining conditions in
the matter, and much more than compensate
Tor the increased distance of the orb from
which the heat emanates
Inc honors OF leadership among the starry
hosts for July are fairly divided between
venus and Mars. Saturn is still to be seen,
put 1t has vacated its post OF prominence and
does not attract the attention which it COM
inanded 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 1t was in the middle of June and sets
earlier. 1t remains in the constellation of the
Lion, In close proximity to its old companion,
hcgulus, the leading orb in that star group
In August Saturn will set with the sun and
vanish from the evening sky until the closing
weeks of the year
Those whose eyes are turned toward the
western armament any of these evenings be-
tween O'Clock and $50 will see short dis
h.Nxa
lect 1hls Is Venus. the planetary queen the
ioyellest and most brilliant of all the orbs of
heaven, when at her brightest, save the sun
ana moon. Venus can be seen before sunset
she has been seen by the unaided eve even
when the sun was high in the armament by
persons having strong vision who knew the
point IN which to look for her. At the begin
ning OF July Venus will be above the horizon
until 9:4O but at the end Of the month she will
set half an hour earlier
Over In the southeast, where Mars has been
seen throughout the past few weeks just after
sunset. this planet is still to be discerned. 1t
IS farther to the west, however, and higher
above the horizon than it has been before in
the present season at the same hour in the even.
ing. About an hour after the close of twilight
III VIII De directly to the south and nearly half
way between the horizon and the zenith. Next
10 venus Mars ID the most striking and beauti-
iul orb, always excepting the moon which will
be visible at sunset in the opening DAYS OF July
II is only 45,000,000 miles away from the ear
now. This Is close approach, as the planet
OF war Is only about 5000, 900 miles farther
from US than 1t was thirteen years ago, when
lts Two moons were discovered by Prof Hall of
Washington. Those who have been for the
past few weeks closely watching Mars and the
bright star Antares to the eastward in the Scor.
pion have noticed 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
n m nf Ar,n L..
Antares will be near each other and on the
same north and south line
After the close OF July another planet will
challenge Venus and Mars to contest for SUI
premacy among the starry hosts The orb al
noeo 10 Is Jupiter. At the beginning of July
Jupiter Will rise about $50 o'clock in the even
Ing, and on the 30th day of the month it will
come INTO view at sunset. The giant planet
rises IN the southeast, eliminates i'm the south
like Mars, and following the latter, will set In
the southwest Jupiter is still in the constella-
ton OF the Goat.
These are the most Interesting of tho rlonots
which fill the role of evening stars" dnrino
July. Uranus. however. will also be in view in
the constellation of the Virgin about four de-
grees 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 Q which
reaches its new stage on the 10th, and which is
again full ON the 3lst, will be in conjunction
with Jupiter on the 4th, with Saturn on the
18th, with Venus on the 10th. with Mars ON the
9th and with Jupiter once more on the 3lst.
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 Pa from the planet, the planet being
the farther to the north. A degree in angular
measurement is equal to about twice the an
parent diameter OF the full moon.
An interesting conjunction between planets
Will take place on the 18th. On that day Venus
passes near Saturn. The distance separating
them when at their closest to each other will
be but a tenth Of degree, Venus being the
farther to the south at that time.
The conspicuous stars of July are Reguus.
Spica, Arcturus, Vega, Deneb. Affair and An
tares. Soon after sunset at the beginning of
the month, Regulns will be found near Saturn
In the west, Il little above the horizon, Spica in
the south, Arcturus close to the zenith. Vega
east OF the zenith point, Deneb northeast of
Vega, Affair in the east and just rising above
the horizon, while high above the horizon in
the southeast, and near Mars. Antares will be
seen.