The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-08-01
luminary's stay above the horizon is grad
nnllv hainn laasnned

l%uminary's stay above the horizon is grad
ually being lessened.
Jupiter has taken the place of honor in
the evening sky which for the last few
months has been held by Saturn. The
ringed planet ia still found on the e~asterly
side of the sun, setting later thar the last
named orb, but it is too near the sun to be
of much interest to the ordinary star gazer.
1t has lost the luster and attractlveness
with which it shone during the spring
months when it was near the southerly part
of the armament at sunset. From this
uncertain, and on Sept. ID it will set with
the sun and will be seen no more in the
evening sky until 1892.
Mars for 1891 has left us, but it will be in
view in the morning, just before sunrise. a
few weeks hence in the east. Uranus is too
low in the armament, too remote and too
near the sun to be of interest any more this
season to anybody. Mercury is in the field
of vision in the evening. About the middle
of August it will be at its fartherest re-
move eastwardly from the sun, and be in
view about an hour and a half after sunset.
This will be the best time for naked-eye
observers to get a glimpse of this shifting
and elusive little luminary.
No intelligent person will have any diff
Guilty in tracing out Jupiter these nights
from the maze of orbs that gem the celes-
tial concave. 1t is brighter than any other
luminary except the moon, and its identity
can not readily be hidden. In the east
it may be seen about nine O'Clock,
and it comes into view earlier and
earlier as the days pass. Throughout the
entire night. as it swings upward toward tho
zenith and downward toward the west, it
will be i'll the field of vision. Technically,
1t is not yet an evening star, but it will at
tain this distinction on September 5. when
it rises just as the sun sets. From this time
until Venus appears in the evening sky,
about two months hence, the giant planet
will be the most charming object which the
armament affords.
Venus, as morning star, is so near the sun
now that it has lost most of its attractive
ness. The angular distance between these
two orbs is steadily decreasing, and on the
18th OF September they will be in c%oniunc-
ton. Two or three weeks later the queen
of planets may be seen in the southwest Just
after sunset to divide the honors in aplen-
dor and conspicuousness with Jupiter, which
will still be in the e%asterly side of the me-
ridian.
The old moon will be in conjunction with
Venus on the 3D. of August a little before
sunrise, and a day later it will pass near
Mars. On the 9th, when the moon is new,
it will visit Mercury, and on the TIN Saturn
will be thus honorea. On the 10th, however,
Just after the moon has passed its full
phase, the most interesting of the %conjunc-
tions of the month will take place. In this
one Jupiter will figure. When at their
nearest to each other about three and three
quarters degrees only will separate Luna
from the king of planets, the latter being to
the south. A degree in angular measure
ment is a space equal to about twice the
apparent diameter of the full moon.
Augustus first magnitude stars are Spica, of
the constellation of the Virgin; Antares, of
the Scorpion; Arcturus, of the Bear-keeper;
Vega, of the Tyre, and Affair, of the Eagle.
Regulus, of the Lion. has gone from us, and
Will not be se' IN the evening again until
next winter. Spica, too, which will be low
In the southwest soon after sunset, has al
most reached the vanishing point. Antares,
at about nine O'Clock in the evening on the
nights of the first week of August, will be
III the south, and about q thiId of the way
from'the horizon to the zenith. This ia a
brilliant red star which can not be mistaken
for any other orb in its vicinity. At the
same hour orange-colored Arcturus will be
in the southwest, half way between horizon
and zenith: steel-bluo Vega will be almost
directly overhead, and yeilowish-whlt
Altar will be in the southeast. high above
the horizon line. A little to the northeast
OF Vega the second magnitude star Dcneb,
of the Swan, may be seen. This star prout
ID often called the northern cross. Herr
Will be the position of the principa! single
stars about three hours after sunset early
IN August, which will be visible at thai
time. Later on in the night. low down il
the southeast, a brilliant twinkler shinin,
lonely in the blank of space in that locality
Will flash into view. This is Fomalhaut
the principal luminary in the southern fish
Inc familiar star groups near the pol,
Will be well situated for observation durin.
the nights of August. Two hours after sun
| Set at the beginning of the month the grea'