The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-02-01
LITTLE FOR STAR GAZERS
FEBRUARY AN UNEVENTFUL
MONTH AMONG TIE PLANETS.

Prof. Ashmors'5 Astronomical Fore
cast for the Next Four Weeks-The
Moon to Fave Free Sailing With
Nothing in Her Way This Month.
During the month of February no I'M
usual phenomena will be presented by the
heavenly bodies. OF the planets, Jupiter,
Mars and Neptune are evening stars, and
Mercury, Venus and Uranus are morning
stars. Jupiter and Mars are now quite
conspicuous in the early evening in the
southwest about 80 apart, the former easily
distinguished by its brilliancy, and the
latter by its ruddy color. Though Jupiter
is by far the brighter of these two planets,
1t is at present SAC, 100000 miles beyond
Mars. By watching these planets from
night to night it will be seen that they are
slowly separating, and both gradually sink
ing out Of view in the west.
NEPTUNE.
Nearly overhead at dark Neptune may
be found with q good glass in the constel-
lation Taurus Sc 81. directly north Of Al
debaran, the bright red star iii the V.
shaped group of the Hyades. 1t appears as
a star OF the eighth magnitude and barely
visible IN good field glass. This ts the
remotest planet in our system, and although
apparently 80 small it is eighty-fiVe times
as large as our earth.
VENUS.
Iu the early dawn, about an hour ahead
of the sun, this respondent planet may be
seen struggling with the morning light
near the horizon, about 20a south of the east
point 1t is approaching the sun, and it
will soon be lost to view in his overpower-
ing rays. IN the latter part of May Venus
no tha
more and more above the western horizon
after sunset.
SATURN.
Saturn 10 in the Constellation Virgo, and
it rises about 10 O'Clock. We must wait
month or two to see this interesting planet
to the best advantage. 1t is easily visible
to the naked eye as a star of the first mag
Ditude, and with telescope its rings may
now be plainly seen extending quite OBJ
liqusly across the disk Of the planet.
MERCURY AND URANUS.
Both these planets are in unfavorable
positions for observation, the former being
too cloee to the sun and latter two far away
from u.s. Mercury will be in superior con-
junction on the 10th. Uranus crosses the
meridian at 5:42 o'clock in the morning.
THE MOON.
The entire course of the moon through
the heavens now is nearly free from large
fixed stars, though three of the planets are
so near its track that they will be Occulted
during the month, viz: Jupiter on the Goth,
Mars on the 21st and Saturn on the 9Th.
None Of the occultstions, however, will be
visible here. On the evening of the Goth a
very pretty conjunction of the moon,
Jupiter and Mars will take place.
CONSULTATIONS AND FIXED STARS.
In the north Ursa Major lies east of Po-
Cepbeus is west and Cassiopeis above and
TO the west. Along the ecliptic Leo. with
Regulus In the sickle, is just rising, Cancer
is well up, Gemini midway, Taurus on the
meridian, Aries past. Pisces next, and
Aquarus just setting. In the southwest
CAMS Major, CAMS Minor and Orion are
quite conspicuous. North of the ecliptic, on
the meridian, Perseus glistens with its
arch of interesting stars concave toward
the pole. South of this bending arch about
100 and forming a small trapezoid with
three other stars of the fourth aud fifth
magnitudes near by is Algol, one of the most
remarkable variable stars in the heavens.
This star remains invariable as q second
magnitude star for a period of two and a
half days, then in four and half hours it
aoses about five-sixths of its light, remaining
at the minimum for about twenty minutes,
then IN three aud half hours recov-
ering it's original condition. These changes
are quite regular in their recurrence and
| they may be easily observed by any one.
These variations are in all probability due
| to the fact that Algol has revolving around
it, nearly in a plane with the earth, a dark
body, a burned out sun that regularly
eclipses its bright companion to
US. Do then the host of fixed
stars have worlds revolving around
them as our world revolveI around our
| sum- Many modern discoveries In estro-
| nomical science strengthen this view; in
| deed, there is no longer any room for doubt
| about it in regard to many of the stars.
Then are these worlds peopled by intelli-
gent beings, like or unlike, inferior or
superior to ourselves, with joy and sorrow,
sickness and death, OF does some endless
Eden bloom forever in these far-off depths?
Otis AsHMoRE.