The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1896-05-07
TINE HEAVENS IN NAY.


will present her phsse. ss foibows
Last quarter on the IT'D, rev, on the
18th, FIRST quarter on the 10Th, ana iuiI
ON the 2sth. In many, vague notion
exists as to tn. meaning OF the wore
horizon. We will here speak only oil
the visible horizon which - the iin-
where the sky and earth seem To meet
this line on land IL more or less broken
and rugged, but on = calm sea II - a
true circle. The expanse OF THE yisi-
BILE horizon depends upon the eieva-
ton Of the observers eye above the
surface ~ the sea. The following ~
very simple rule by which To find the
distance Of the horizon: Take the ell
ovation of the observer eye express
sed In feet, increase IL by its own half,
and then take the square root OF the
sum and the result will be the distance
Of the horizon in miles.
For instance, suppose the observer
eye To be ut an elevation Of II feet
above the water; then to this add IL
feet and the square root Of the sum l.
3: hence q miles 10 the distance Of
the horizon.
Looking skyward about . o'clock III
the evenings during this month we
perceive that several Of the most beau
tiful consultations Of the heaven.
which were visible last month have
now disappeared in the distant west,
while others not before visible have
made their appearance in the eastern
heavens. Prominent among the latter
10 OphincLas. This constellation occu-
pies . large area Of the mid-heaven,
directly south Of Hercules. Ras AL
hague n the principal star in the con-
stelIatiOn. TOthe south Of nphinchus
We behold Scorpio, The scorpion, just
emerging above tbs eastern horizon
Seorpto 10 the eigth sign ard the
ninth eOnstSllatlOn in the order Of the
Zodiac, and IL IL one Of the most inter
ssting clusters OF stars to be seen in
the southern hemisphere.
In the infancy OF Astronomy the
aatumnal equinox took place when the
sun was in !Sc0rJ,i0. lt can be dis
tinguished by the remarkable lustre
and the position Of its largest stars
Antares, situated in the heart Of the
Scorpion 10 the brightest star. In
deed, Antares is the most brilliant
star In all that region OF the heavens
and may be easily distinguished by
its peculiar red appearance. This is
an important star to navigatOrs, for
they use it from which to reckon the
moons distance in computing their
longitude at sea. South and east of
Antares il . succession Of eight or
nine bright stars which sweep around
in . half circle, terminating i'm sever
nj small stars, forming the tail Of the
Scorpion which extends into the milk y
way.
TO the west Of $corpio, we see LiJra,
The Balance, which contains but few
large stars: but il is, however, at this
slime hon0red with the presence of the
magnificent planet Saturn. This fact
will enable the reader to more readily
pOintiOut the Balance. IL IL chiefly
noted ~ having been once the con-
stellation which the sun entered Mt the
time Of the autumnal equinox; at
which time the constellation Lii
bra coincided with the sign Libra.
But In consequence of the procession
Of the equinsxes, the sign Libra now
corresponds with the constellation
Virgo; 40 that the autumnal equinox
now occurs when the sun is in the
Virgo. North of Ophia-
rus Is Hercules whose principal star
10 Ras Algethi which may be distin-
guished by means of another bright
star Of the same magnitude de-
grees. east by southeast of it.
TO the northeast Of Hercules we see
Libra, which contains the bright star
Vega whose color is n shining white.
The eastern part of Libra is situated
on the edge Of the Milky Way. just
rising east OF Lyora is CMg3sus, The
Swan, which Is one Of the few cOnsteI-
lations that show some resemblance
to the animals whose names they bear.
This constellation is rcresented as a
swan flying down the Milky
Way towards the south. Northwest of
Hercules we see the circumpOlar con-
stellatiOn Drdco, The Dragon. High
up the heavens north of Draco is
Trsa Minor, The Little Bear; while
to the southwest Of Draco is IrSo Ma
jor, The Great Bear, which is lust n
little past the meridian. This great
constellation is one of the easiest in
the heavens to learn. 1t recognized
by the figure Of a larger and more per
feet diPper than the one in the Little
Bear.
The bottom of the Dipper bow lies
towards us with the handle on the
right. The two western stars
Of the bowl are called the Point
ers, because il the line which connects
them be continued in . northern d.
reotion it will pass through the pole
star. These two Pointers are 5 degrees
apart and since they are always visible
IN our latitude it is we'll to use them
rs . standard Of measure by which we
can determine the distances of other
stars In the ever interesting heavens
above us. On the opposite side of the
pole star from the Great Bear and the
Dragon, we see the consultations
Cepheus, Cdssiopeia and Psrseus situa
ted in the midst of the Milky Way:
while in southeastern direct ion from
the Great Bear IS BoOtes, The Bear
Driver, which is represented by the
hGure OF a huntsman in the act of
the Great Bear around the
pole OF the heavens. The principal
star In this constellation is Arcturus
. reddish, first magnitude star situa-
ted in the knee Of the Bear Driver.
With the exception Of Sirius. Arc
6urus 10 the brightest star to be seen in
orr latitude. South of BOotes is the
ZOdiacal constellation Virgo which
with its scattering stars, occupies y
large region in the heavens. While To-
the west Of Virgo is Leo, The Lion.
which contains a large number of
very bright stars-the brightest one
OF which is Regulus, situated in the
breast OF the Lion. To the north of
Regulus there are five bright stars ar
ranged In the form of a sickle, with
Regulus a. the handle.
TO the south Of Leo and Virgo we
see the Crater, Hydra, the Crow and
West Of Leo is Cancer
slowly winding its way towards the
western horizon. This constellation
oan be easily distinguished now Inv it's
In It's midst that most mag
nincent Of all the planets, Jupiter.
while Aurtgd, Gcmint, Canis, Minor
and Aonorsros are either setting or on
lhe point OF so doing.
W. A. GUrHRIanr.
Give The a. Farm Name.
Progressive FsrmerI
has been frequently suggested that
YYoAt good WOulu resuIt f.n.D