Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-08-10
Beauties That Will Open to
the Star-gazer.
METEORlC SHOWERS EXPECTED
The Red Light of Antares
Will Brightly Glow.
Brilliant Vega Will he High Overhead--
Arcturus Not Far from the Great Bear--
Movements of the Sun and Changes of
the Milky Way Worth Studying
--Where j JUPITER and Venus May he Seen.
New York Times.

August stars are beautlful.
The red star Antares shines IN the
southwark section, while Spica is one of
the gems in the western heavens. The
brilliant Vega is high overhead in the
early evening hours, and not far away
shines the Swan, its starry cross resting
on the Milky Way. Affair is one of the
brilliants in the central portion of the
dome, having near it the pretty diamond
that marks the Dolphin. Arcturus, red
tinted and radiant, is found not far from
the prolongation of the handle of the |
Dipper, as the Great Bear is commonly |
called, and to the eastward of 1t, and |
about one-third of the distance to Vega, |
is selnicircle of brilliauts called the
Northern Crown, whose brightesttwink-
ler is called Alpbacca.
Later in the evening a large white
star called Capella may be seen showing
itself above the horizon. There is a
satisfaction in learning the names and
positions of the stars that does not be.
long to the study of the planets. The
stars apparently never change so far as
| their position relative to each other Is
concerned. The planets are always
moving, and to those who do not watch
the heavens with particular attention, it
| is cause of surprise very often to find
"new STAR adjoining a certain section
of the heavens. Ii, however, this new
conner be carefully observed from night
to nightit will be found to change its dis
lance from the fixed stars and the OBJ
server will discover that it is a planet
and at liberty to wander about from place
to place under the sole condition that it
obeys certain rules of motion. When
the bright stars that grace the summer
heavens become familiar TO observers
they will know just what to expect on
each succeeding August.
Another attractive feature in the
August programme is offered by the
meteors. While November is, perhaps,
considered as the best month for
meteoric showers, August comes in for
its share, and Is by no means bad
J second. There will probably be an ex-
hibition of these fiery little stars that
, have been prettily named clears of ST.
| Lawrence" in memory of the martyred
} saint whose birth occurred on August
I 10th, 25S years after the beginning Of
3 the present era. They are to be looked
for from the 9Th to the 18th of the month
The Perseids, or August meteors, are
1 old inhabitants of the solar system, ant
s the particles are widely scattered
/ throughout the immense meteor zone
o whose perihelion or nearest point t
IS this star rests on the earth's orbit ant
i whose ophelion or furthest boundar.
y lies far beyond the path of the distan
Neptune. They get the name of Per
seids because the point from which the
start is situated in the constellation Q
m Perseus.
The earth every year about Angus
IL 10th plunges into the meteoric zone, an
II its citizens are sure of fair display @
d young comets, as the small boy calle
a them. Many of them will perhaps b
4 disappointing because of their smallnes
~ as there will be scarcely any tail
" them, and the eye will not be caught b
ar them as quickly as by their more bri
liantand larger brothers. OCCASIONAL.
ia however, the patient watcher will be r.
lie warded with the sight of yellow ste
II as large as the largest of those usual
O seen. followed by shadowy stree
q forming as it fits over the sky pictui
81 as beautiful as it is evanescent.
in The speed with which the sun is has
ening toward the equator warns inhat
us tants of the earth that the longer da,
ia are far too rapidly equalizing ther
or selves with the shorter nights, and tn
ne it will not be many weeks before Peep
will be talking about the autumn ha
penings. The suns motion to.the sout
ward increases almost 90 per cent ov
its present movement, and the close
'er August will find it with less than nj
, degrees of declination to so before 4
ne autumnal equinox is reached. Mercu
no is in inferior conjunction and Jupiter
>, quadrature with the sun, which I,
lth events are the only ones of particul
ne moment in which the sun and plant
'nt are concerned at the same time.
X The moon enters upon the phase
Ige last quarter on the 4th, and two da
'il, later is in conjunction with Jupiter, t
lid lowed on the next day by conjuncti
ias with Neptune. On the 18th, when I
ior new moon is due, there will be conjul
:, ton with Mercury, followed on the Il
ny with similar meeting with Mars.
ost the 18th Luna's white arms are
Ups tended toward Venus: hui while This
ooo the nearest approach toward an attri
out favnred with for the month II mis-
to ha;ng eonal IN many that have alrea
been seen. Later in the year, howey
and picturesqueuess are well wo
,d-- waiting for. On the 10th Uranus
ceives visit, but the distance of a
dis gree and half prevents there be
ION, anything worthy OF special CONNIE
yht, Uranus and the quartering moon are
ity. their nearest on the 18th, with VIII
to a event the monthly record closes. 1t '
left be observed that while there are SCI
ars. of these conjunctions for the, MOI
and all, with the last named excepted, oc
egs. in the first half of the month, leav
rom an unusually long time 70 elapse Def
led. those for September begin.
,out The Milky Way toward the soutl
this season Is well worth studying.
,ars, is strange when those complex branc
en- loops, and curdling masses are locke
to find number of the books of
trouomy still asserting that the Mi
Way is faint stream of misty light
mia. cling the celestial sphere. Remem
5is ing, too, that it Is entirely made u
mia clustering stars, as sands on the
;me shore for multitude, each star in
AZ y probability being sun glowing witt
rom own inherent light and heat, start
ouse thoughts are suggested respecting
in. immensely of the universe.
him. When the sou CLOUDS Oh the su
with horizon nave changed from rosy pr
re- tehuei enveiopins s,es, W Siauu
, but deepen INTO restlui gloom, tne o9 y
spoke of "only one is shining in
sky" for there few degrees above
'hree disappearing line Is tne peauuLul a a
ainst OIL the skies alone IN ner peauty'
P. q. sure It's only for few minutes, bu
Rank interval is sufficient to confirm