The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-05-01

Their Appearance in This Month in the Iati-
tnde OF Virginia.

For Tho Iimes.l
Throughout the entire month the beautiful
planet Venus that adorns our western sky
will continue to shine with increasing bril-
liancy Having reached is greatest eastern
elongation just before the commencement of
May. it will rapidly speed nearer 10 the
earth and acquire its greatest brillancy soon
alter the close of the month. II remains
above the horizon three and a half hours
after sundOwu. Across the heavens six hours
east of Venus may be seen the planet Saturn
! st early dark II IS somewhat higher above tine
| eastern horizon than Venus Is above the
western. II is near halfway between and a
! little north Of a straight line connecting two
/ stars of the first magnitude -kegulns and
/ Spca hereinafter described Saturn will
remain nearly stationary during the mO8ih.
/ Gu the 18th the fast-iyng planet Mercury
will be al it, greatest western elOugatiru.
/ when 10 may be seen Ia the southeast tor 3.
] few mornings only by those who ara wlIns'
/ to rise at day Owing 70 Mercury ~
! proximity 10 the sun u IS seldom that a gOOd
view Of IL can be- obtained.
Jupiter and Mars are both morning stars.
| the former rising an hour before day IN the
| beginning of the month and two hours before
| at It's close the latter raises after midnight
| considerably south OF east. Both OF these
| planets Will greatly improve IA brlilancy "a
! the wear grows older Ianus and Neptune
are too far Oh to he seen with the naked eve.
but for the benefit OF those who are provided
with telescopes | viii give their positions on
the LIST of May. ranus' right ascension "a
hours and six minutes, declluation south II
degrees and II minutes, Neptune. right as
censiOn hOsts and IS minutes decInatlon
north 20 degrees snd minutes the latter
setting about one hour and twenty minutes
before Venus ON the nth there viii be
partial lunar eclipse the moon rising ecpsed
. la or n
one of the most conspicuous consultations
il the evenings of tins month is the Great
Bear, better known a. the Dlpper. from tho
seven bright stars IN the lear part OF the
figure whose shape suggest that useful piece
OF furniture. In some parts OF Great Britain
IL is called Charles vain. or wagon. his
splendid constellation has been much adj
mred III all ages. and II IS singular fact
that the Arabs of the Asiatic desert ana the
Indians of North America should have ap-
y ed % il the same name The two outer
stars IL the cup OF the dlpper Merak aud
Dubhe. are known rs the pointers. because
they always point 10 the NORTH polo
and in this latitude never sink below the
horizon. They are nearly overhead II the
early evening being little north II the rs
NTH The pole star. POlaris, belongs 10 the
conste alton OF the Little Bear. 10 Is not stu
ated exactly az the pole. but reyOlyes around
Il IN small circle whose radius Is one degree
Bear and Ia theairection TO which the handle Oh
the dipper Is pointing IS the magnificent star
Arcturus OF the first magnitude. IL 70 placed
IN the lett knee of BOOtes, the Bear Driver
Arcturus Is supposed to bs nearer the earth
than any other star IL the Northern heIais-.
phcre. Nearly due west or the Bear Driver,
some twenty degrees or more is beautiful
cluster Of yery small stars called Berenlce.
Hair They are hardly visible IN moOn-lit
nights.
In order that your ref iers may have a con-
tenieut ward stick H. measure with Will state
that the distance between the pointers Nerak
and Dubhe is five degrees and that the we'll
known LII and } ard or Orion Belt snbtends Oh
angle of exactly three degrees. The observer
must also remember that the same angle
near the horizon appears much smaller as you
approach the zenith. Sixty degrees west or
Arcturus and little past the meridian Will 10
seen the sickle IN the constellation Leo. the
most perfect figure III the skies. II IS formed
by tho bright star Regulus IN the handle and
three or four smaller ones IN the curved blade
of tho sickle. Leo Is the nth sign and sixth
constellation IN the zodiac. Draw a SOUTH
east line from Regulus fifty degrees. passing
"A little north of the planet Saturn, and you
Will reach the silyery bright star Splea IN the
wheat heads Of the constellation Virgo.
Spca is not much west o. south line
drawn from Arc,urus. the distance between
the two being about thirty degrees. Fifteen
degrees southwest of Spica are four third mag
nitude stars forming trapezium or irregular
square. They are IN the constellation OF Ccryus.
tho crow FHrning again O. Venus. whose
splendid beauty we can never cease 10 adj
plire there VII De- seen bright star some
twenty-old degrees away Ia TIE northwest.
This is Caps.la in the constellation Amiga.
the charioteer. Capel.s is the brightest star
north of the equator.
Some twenty-five degrees east OF Venus are
two companion stars of learly the same size.
four and a-half degrees apart. that represent
Castor and Pollux. the twins. They are Of