The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-01
TWlNKLING HOST OF NIGHT.
BRIGHT STARS UNDER THE CLEAR
NOVEMBER SKIES.

Venus, the Dazzling, Now Appears
as Evening Star-She VIII AdOrn
the Evening Sky All Winter-War
God Mars Coming Closer to the
Earth--Jupiter Not TO Make His
FUN Appearance Until February.
The Situation of the Lesser Lights.
The clear November skies are always
beautiful, but an additional charm will
be given to the twinlIling host of night by
the recent appearance of two brilliant
planets upon the scene.
An observer, soon after sunset. may
catch the dazzling beams of large, bright
star not far above the western horizon,
and, day by day, it will be seen to Iise
higher and higher in the heavens. This
is the planet Venus, now appearing as
evening star. after being hidden from
view for several months. Not long ago it
was the morning star, but having passed.
It's superior conjunction it is now APP
preaching the earth and growing brighter.
In the telescope the disc Venus now
appears like that of the moon about three
days after the fun, for it must be remem>
bered that this planet, being within tho
earth's orbit undergoes all the phases or
the moon. The alternate appearance and
disappearance of this planet as morning
and evening star was sore puzzle to the
ancients They thought there were two
stars, which they named Phosphorus Or
Lucifer, when it appeared as morning
star, and Hesperus or Vesper when it ap.
peared as evening star. Venus is nearly
the same size as the earth, and its bril-
liancy is due to the reflection of the sun
light from the dense white clouds in
which the planet is completely enshroud-
ed. 1t is doubtful if the solid portion of
the planet itself has ever been seen.
The writer had the pleasure of looking
at Venus at her last appearance as even
ing star, through the great Lick telescope
and under the most favorable conditions
of observati lions, and while great masses
of white clouds were plainly visible, no
trace of the solid disk appeared. This
planet will rise higher every evening for
several months and all the winter she
will adorn the evening sky with her bril-
liant presence.
Opposite to Venus, in the eastern sky,
another large red star rises about
o'clock. This Is the planet Mars, which
tronomers. We are rapidly approaching
this curious world, so like our own, and
on Dec. 10 we will be as near to it as we
can get. Our nearest approach to Mars
occurs once in about every two years, and
astronomers are already training their
telescopes and new instruments
upon him, with the hope of
making some new discovery upon his curl
Gus disc. We may expect to hear much
about these observations during the win
ter. Mars is rising higher in the heavens
every day, and all the winter he will be
a conspicuous object in the eastern sky.
The planet Jupiter rises soon after mid
night, but not until February will this
majestic world swing into full view. Sat
urn and Uranus are both opposite to the
sun from u.s. and hence invisible, but
Neptune, though always invisible to the
naked eye, will soon be nearest to us, and
in the best position for observation. AT
| present it is in the constellation Taurus.
In the north Ursa Major is west of Po-
! laris, and Sassiopeia above and to the
| east. Below Cassiopeia is Perseus with
the wonderful variable star Algol. In the
| northeast Auriga is just rising, and in the
northwest Lyra, with the bright blue star
| Vega, is slowly sinking. Along the echp-
| tic Taurus is rising, next Aries and Pisces;
| Aquarius is on the meridian, then Capri
cornus, and lastly Sagittarius in the south
west. The large star in the south is Fo-
| malhaut, and the middle one of three in a
line just past the meridian is Altar in the
| Eagle. Near this point the great stream
of stars known as the Milky Way divides
to reunite in a distant part of the heav-
ems. This is a region rich in stars and
the telescope reveals countless numbers
invisible to the naked eye.
When it is considered that every one OF
these millions of stars are suns like our
own and that in all probability they have
revolving around them worlds with liv
ing beings upon them, we come to realize
more than ever before the vastness of Gre
alton and something, too, of our own in
significance in the great ocean of eternity.
Otis Ashmore.