Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-01

nebula. Unfortunately for us it is not visi-
bic to the naked eye, and indeed, to see it
IN Its full glory requires a telescope Of the
largest size. But we can fix our eyes on the
spot where it is-marked on the planisphere
and imagine. If we have not access to
photograph of it. "a light stain of indeScrib-
able glory, vast volume of blush gaseous
material with hues of infinite softness and
oeifcacy. here presenting luminous tracts
which glow with an exquisite light there
graduating off until it is impossible to say
where the nebula ceases and the black sky
begins"
Great Spiral NebuIa.
Among the stars of Orion on our chart
may be seen a dotted spiral, somewhat re-
sembling the figure g. which begins near the
star Bellatrix, in the left shoulder and curv-
ing downward partly encircies the central
stars of the constellation. This curved line
marks the location and the general form of
the great spiral nebula, which first seen
on photograph taken by Prof. w. II. Pick
ering at Wilson's Peak in 1889, and which
was subsequently brought out on photo
graphs of Orion taken by Prof. Barnard at
Mount Hamilton.
Another region which photography has
invested with special interest is that
which lies Immediately around the beauti-
full little cluster Of the Pleiadcs. 1t has
been known for some six eight years,
through photographs taken by DR.. Roberts,
Mr.. Browning, Professor Wilson and Others
that this cluster, consisting of between
1000 and 1900 stars, is imbedded in mass
OF nebulouS matter, which is particularly
condensed about the four stars Alcyone
Merope, Electra and Maia. The kecn-eyed
Herschel noted the region lying just north
of the Pleiades one of 'diffusad nebuos-
| ity, and recentiy-in December 1S.3-Pro-
| fessor Barnard successfully photographed
| the cluster and the surrounding region with
| the long exposure of ten hours and found
| that this ''nebulosity' encompasses the clus-
| ter on nearly every side over a space about
tan OH %tx-saa Gin
| of the bowl of the Great Dipper. If there
| has ever been reasonable doubt that the
PleladeS form a true and not a merely
| optical cluster, this extensive cloud of
| nebulous matter, in the midst OF which
they lie, must remove the doubt. The
| Pleiades, therefore. may be considered, like
| Orion, to form a department of creation
| by themselves.
The Planets.
! Mercury will be in inferior conjunction
with the sun-between us and the sun-on
| the Sth- 1t will not be visible during the
month.
Venus Is still a brilliant morning star,
being at the beginning of the month two
hours and three-quarters in advance of
the sun. She is moving directly from
| the earth and is diminishing in brightness.
| Mars is a morning star, and Al the be-
| ginning of the month is a quarter of an
| hour-less than four degrees-east of Venus.
| He is now too far away to be an object of
| interest.
Jupiter. in the constellation Cancer, is still
| a glorious evening star and is in a posi-
| ton to be an object of the first interest to
the possessor of a telescope. The planet
presents about the same aspect as it has
| presented for several years past, its most
! conspicuous feature being broad double
| equatorial belt of a prevailing salmon hue,
| but variegated with brownish streaks. The
old red spot still shows itself as a faint
oval ring of a pinkish hue.
| S.flI 10 al! n hca ic n
| morning star, rising about l am. 1t will
be in quadrature with the sun--six hours
west of it-on the eth.
Uranus is also in Libra, about midway
| between Saturn and Antares.
| Neptune invisible of course, is in Taurus
| between the Bulls horns and about ten de-
| grees east of Aldebaran.
The position of the moon at pm. for
every day on which she is above the hori-
ION at that hour is shown on the plan
| isphere.