Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-11-09
THE SKIES IN NOVEMBER.
Motions OF the Planets and Positions of
the Fixed Stars.

the I'D full and on the oUth i'll her last
quarter. Venus is evening star. setting
between 7.30 and o'clock In the evening.
Jupiter rises about 6 p. m, and is with us
all night, while Saturn is morning star,
rising about 4.i5 a. IN. Uranus and Nep-
tune are so distant as 10 be invisible to the
naked eye. 1t may perhaps be considered
interesting to many of our readers to mem
ton here that the two last-named members
of our solar system were not known as
such before the latter half of the last
century. 1t was on the 18th of March,
1881 that the celebrated astronomer, Sir |
William Herschel noticed, with his great |
reflector, in the constellation Gemini, or |
the Twins. star which presented disk, a |
fact never seen in fixed stars. Observing |
it more closely, he also noticed that it |
moved, which inclined him at first TO the |
opinion that it was u comet, but he soon
became convinced that it really was a |
planet about twice as distant from the
sun as the then most distant member OF
the solar system-Saturn. This was
Uranus. While it takes Saturn % years to
make revolution about the sun, it takes
Uranus "a years to accomplish its circuit
about that luminary. Not so large as Jupi-
ter, Saturn and Neptune, it still possesses
the enormous diameter of 81 600 miles,
making it the fourth largest member Of
our system. 1t is fact which will ever be
regarded as one of the most remarkable in
Ine history OF sClence, LluL ABOUT Oh years
after the discovery of Uranus certain irreg-
ularities in the motion of this planet led
to the discovery of Neptune. 1t was con-
sidered scarcely possible that there was
more distant planet than Uranus with its
| bewildering distance of nearly two billion
| miles, for there must be limit to the at
| tractive force of even SO majestic body as
| the sun, but by the discovery of Neptune
10 was proved that i'll so wonderful
science as astronomy wonders will never
| cease,
To the penetrating eye of the astronomer
/ no member Of our solar system, be IL ever
so small or ever so distant, will for any
great length OF time elude itself. Nay, ere
he sees with his eyes, he applies that magi.
cal key, mathematical analysis, calculates
magnitude, position, and all the essential
parts pertaining to planet, and then, the
telescope being applied, behold! there is
the planet exactly where the previously
made calculation said il must be, and the
size which this calculation asserted IL must
have. Can greater triumph of the magi-
cal results of mathematical analysis and
the analytical powers of men be conceived?
Neptune is half as distant again from the
sun us Uranus, but in spite of this colossal
distance it is held in It's path by its liege
lord, the sun, around which it is CON
strained to circle, completing one circuit
IN not less than 164 years.
|
occasion to see some especially interesting
CONGREGATIONS of stars. Pegasus and An
! dromeda. both connected in Grecian my
thology with the story of Perseus, and all
these three connected i'll the sky 30 as
almost to form one constellation, are
, on the meridian in the middle of the
month, and so is Cassiopeia, the cir
cumpolar constellation. In the north
east below Perseus we sec constel
: lation, the five most conspicuous star!
n of which form large pentagon. rhi!
e is Auriga, or the Charioteer. containing
! beautiful star of the first magnitude
I Capella, or the Goat. Somewhat to tn,
- east of this brilliant constellation we per
;; ceiye bright reddish star of the frs
VI magnitude, Aldebaran, Familiarity know
as the Bulls Eye, in the zodical constella
e ton of Taurus, or the Bull. Aldebaral
il is at the end of V, which group forms
Il remarkable cluster called the Hyades
" Above this cluster is another one some
, what smaller, but having from times i'm
memorial attracted universal attention
This remarkable cluster bears the name o
&c the Pleiades, sometimes called the SIEVE
Stars, though it requires rather keen ey
Al to see more than six. The most ancier
" writers, notably Homer, never mentio
"A more than six Pleiades, while sevent
10 was added not until centuries afterwarC
y Some Latin poets insist upon seven stai
10 being plainly seen with the unaided ey
Sc and It is not improbable that one may be
to variable star. The brightest in this int
esting star group is Alcyone, which is
the third magnitude. As Alcyone appea
in this cluster as hen with her chicken
the group has sometimes been called ii
On Hencoop. 1t is this star Alcyone whiC
e. the famous German astronomer Madl
considered the central sun about whiC
at our sun, with all its splendid cortege
he planets and satellites, revolved in an orb
10 of Uncomfortable length, but this hypoth
AZ sis has since been disproved, as it has be,
~ established beyond any doubt that o
or solar system is travelling toward the co
n stellatlon of Hercules. Orion, the me
magnificent of all consultations is risi
th | above the horizon, but as 1t appears
mt greater advantage next month. we reser
ha more detailed description of it Tor o
~ December article.
no The vast space between Taurus, Ari
gre Pisces and Piscis Australis is occupied
ne a large constellation called Cetus, or
le- Whale. 1t is the largest of all constel
ri tions, though by no means the IN,
nd brilliant. 1t is principally noted for CO
tanning one of the most remarkable sta
in the heaveil-Mira, or the wonderful St
he first noticed by Fabricius in the year Is
lg- The constellation Cetus may be traC
the without difficulty by three stars formin
ON triangle in the northeast, and five ST
to southwest forming figure somewhat
re- sembling sickle. About midway
nm tween these two figures is Mira, VIII
DO variability is quite singular. The per
- of its different variations extends o.
I'm eleven months. Sometimes it shines W
SELF the brightness Of q star of the seco
her magnitude; sometimes it pales to inv
ing bility. What lends this star a singu
be feature is the circumstance that ire
larities occur in its period. for in certi
years it attained even to the brilliancy
a star Of the first magnitude.
The variability in the brightness of so
arg, stars known as variable is a subj
ngs which has puzzled and is still puzzling
CHS astronomers. Several more or less pla
was BILE theories, explaining that singular u
at nomenon, have been advanced but d
her far none has assumed the character o
one positive and undoubted scientific 4
ort, This is an evidence that even so we'll
mas veloped a science as astronomy, with
ne vigorous mathematical foundation, c
IKE tains yet many things whose explanat
iton is reserved for the researches of astrc
ana mers of future generations. No sciei
rye. no matter of what character, whet
purely metaphysical or based upon
more tangible facts of natural phenomt
ody nay, even the positive principles of ma
nes. mates, will ever be able to boast of
We lection. Perfection, through all age;
come, will ever remain an attribute of
TORN Creator alone. We cannot conceive
ear still less attain it, but we may at
ggle strive to come nearer and nearer the u
wed tainable ideal, aud thus acquire va
ted. and sublimer conception of omniscit
rite. and omnipotence.
To Take a Murderer to Illinois.
e SPRINGFIELD, ILL.,, Nov. $50
son nor Altgeld yesterday issued reql
a. i zxf