Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-03

Leo is one of the few consultations which
we can make something of. Although it is
not so striking an asterism as Orion. still
1t is possible, with the aid of a little imag-
ination. to make out the lions shape. The
curved group Of stars popularity known as
the Sickle forms his bushy head. Regulus,
sometimes called Cor Leonis, the Lions
Heart, Is in the fore shoulder. The animal
Is represented In the act of sprnyin on
his prey and his fore paws. extending for
ward, are NAKED by little group of fourth
and fifth magnitude stars just IN front of
Hegulus. Denebola, q bright second-mag-
nitude star, easily recognized as the bright
est OF -FOUR which form a small rour-sided
figure q short distance to the left of the
sickle. is in the brush Of the tail, which
10 represented as held aloft ami curving
downward into loop. The two right-hand
stars OF this little quadrilateral are in the
Lions hind quarters, and his hind legs and
feet are marked by an elongated group of
faint stars. which extends downward to-
ward the bright star Spica. Leo offers a
very rich field for survey with an opera
glass. particularly the eastern portion of
the constellation. Adjoining Leo, on the
east, Is the constellation Virgo. the princi-
pal star In which, Spica, the Wheat-car a
star or the first magnitude. is barely above
the horizon at the hour of our obs ervation.
Near the hind feet Of the Lion is the
point at which the sun In its annual round
or the heavens-performed in a direction
from west to east-crosses the eq1iuoctial.
or the celestial equator, from north to
south. Upon passing this point - the au-
tumnal equinox-about the Dist of Septem-
Der. 1t enters the constellation Virgo. The
sun is said in the almanac. however. to
ENTER Libra" at that time; and since on
the 10th of this month it will pass the YER
nal equinox, coming northward, and will
ENTER Aries" according to the almanac,
although it will really enter the con ytel-
lation Pisces. note Of explanation may be
In place here.
The Signs of the Zodiac.
Anciently the - signs OF the zodiac"
with which alone the almanac is concerned,
conceded in position with the IL zodiacal
considerations which bear the same names.
They were. in fact, identical. sign being
an astrological rather than an astronomical
term. In the time of Hipparchus, some
100 years ago, the sun upon crossing the
celestial equator from south to north en-
tered the constellation Aries, which was
considered as beginning the series of the
signs. But one of the discoveries of this
father OF exact astronomy was that the two
points at which the sun crosses the equator
were not fixed, but were slowly retreating
westward-that the vernal equinox, for ex-
ample; was slowly slipping back into the
preceding constellation, Pisces. This move
ment. known as the procession of the
equincxes. proceeds at a rate which, since
the time of Bipparchus, has carried these
pOl1tS 10 the westward ~ Qeg-eeS-the eN-
act length of a zOdiacal sign-and which in
about 26,OOO years will carry them around
the entire circumference of the heavens
Thus 1t happens that since the signs" have
a constant relation to the shifting equinox
es, moving with them, while the constella-
tons remain fixed. the sun now reaches
each sign a full month before 1t reaches
the constellation which bears the same
name.
The cause Of this movement Of procession
| Is certain gyratory motion of the earth,
while turning on its axis, a motion which
has been compared to the gyration of a
spinning top. in consequence Of which the
two poles of the earths axis slowly de-
scribe in the heavens circles, having a ra-
dius Of % 12 degrees while the celestial
equator correspondingly shifts its position
among the stars. Since the ecliptic, or
suns path among the stars remains in
variable in place. the points where It is
crossed by the shifting equator are contin-
rally sliding along 1t.
As Shown by the Chart
To render this matter more Ineligible a
dotted circle has been drawn on the planIs-
phere showing the path passed by the
shifting north celestial pole. Let the reader
examine this chart, held inverted, and let
him imagine that he is facing the north
On the right, at high elevation he will
see the Great Dipper. On the left is the
constellation Cassiopeia. Within the circle
are the Little Upper, or Little Bear UIrSa
MINOR, and the most of the stars of the
constellation Draco. The arrow shows the
direction in which the invisible pole of the
heavens moves. At the present time il is
very near the star known for this reason as
the Pole star. Some 1000 years ago ii was
near the the star Alpha DIaconis, a third
magnitude star midway between the bowl
Of the Little Dipper and the handle of the
Great Dipper. In about 13,OOO years from
row, to look forward a short way into the
future 1T will have performed one-half of
its circuit, and it will then be AZ degrees
from Its present position. The vernal equi-
nox will then be where the autumnal equi-
noX Is now. The celestial equator. which
now runs through the middle of Orion, W i'll
then run near Capella-
Thousands of Years Hence.
What Will be the effect of these changes
upon the appearances Of the starry hea-
vens? 1t will be this: The whole celestial
sphere will appear to have been shifted and
placed upon new pivots. Orion will be a
summer constellation, and he will be SO far
to the south that only his head and Shout
ders will appear above the horizon for OBJ
servers in our northern latitude; Sirius will
never be seen by them, since it will have
taken a place among the south circum-polar
stars; Procyon will appear above the hor-
lion, but SO low as to be rarely visible As
an offset to these losses, we-or rather our
very remote descendants-will have added
to their armament many brilliant stars
which are now seen only by observers in
the southern hemisphere Among these ac-
cessions will be the Southern Cross which.
in those days, will appear for observers in
the latitude of Washington about 10 de-
grees above the horizon, or at about half
the latitude attained by Sirius when on the
meridian.
The Planets.
Mercury will be in inferior conjunction
with the sun on the 14th. This planet Will
therefore be an evening star during the
first half and a morning star during the
latter half Of the month. but too near the
sun to be visible.
Venus passed her inferior conjunction
with the sun the 10th of last month
She may now be seen in the east before
sunrise. On the 22d she will shine with he-
greatest brilliancy as Lucifer. the Morning
Star.
Mars is a morning star, rising at about
a. m.
Jupiter. near the Pleiades, is still a
splendid evening star, remaining above the
horizon until near midnight.
Saturn in the constellation Virgo. near
the star Spica, now rises at about o o. m
Uranus is also in the constellation Virgo
an hour and 20 minutes to the eastward OF
Saturn.