Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-10-03

readily with the aid of the planisphere.
Attention may be directed to a few objects
OF special interest particularly If the OBJ
server can command an opera glass. or.
better, a small telescope.
The star cluster in the handle of the
sword of Perseus was described last month.
seus is visible. and tomorrow night he will
be In an excellent position in the north
east. The variable star Algol is another
object to be carefully looked after. Ordi-
narily this star is of the second magni-
tude. but at intervals of little less than
three days 1t Undergoes a remarkable
change of brilliancy, falling in the space of
about four hours to the fourth magnitude
ana as quickly recovering its usual splen-
dor. Algol will be at minimum at mid
night On the 18th of the month and again
at pm. on the 18th.
The famous nebula in Andromeda Is sit
uated close beside the upper of the three
stars which form the belt of the maiden
1t Is visible even to the naked eye as a
star of peculiar hazy look. field glass
or even an opera glass shows its nebulous
character unm:stakably.
There is no need of directing attention to
the Pleiades. now fairly above the eastern
horizon 1t has been known for the past
eight or ten years, through the aid of pho
Biography, that this beautiful cluster, which
seems to have caught the eyes of the
earliest star gaZers, is fairly imbedded in
an extensive nebula, and that its stars are
to be reckoned by the thousand. There has
fateiy Been puDIlSneO an account OF three
photographs of the Pleiades. taken with
long exposure at the Tachkent observatory,
which seem to indicate that the riches of
this star mine are practically inexhaustible.
One of these photographs which was given
an exposure of twenty-five hours on nine
nights, shows 6,614 stars on the surface Of
four square degrees-that is, an area equal
to abou, one-twelfth Of that Of the bowl OF
the Great Dipper. Truly the Pleiades are
worthy of the admiration they have always
excited
The Planets.
Mercury VIII be an evening s:ar-too near
the sun to be visible, however-until the
Sth of the month. After that date it will
be morning star. becoming visible in the
east before sunrise about the middle of the
month.
Venus is an evening star and may be
seen in the west for half hour or SO after
| the twilight glow has paled sufficiently.
Mars is now the most Interesting of the
planets. His position is in the constella
tiCn Taurus about fifteen degrees northeas,
of the star Aldebaran, which the planet
very closely resembles in color and bril-
| llancy. Mars now rises soon after o'clock
| and by midnight is a conspicuous object IL
| the. eastern sky. Reports of observation:
| UP on the planet are beginning to come il
| from Mr.. Lowell, who began work upon it II
| the latter part of July, at his observatory
at Flagstaff, Arizona; from the astrono
mer at Mount Hamilton and from othel
| SOulCtS, Dul mus ldf uOtIiIlS SidTllIlS ma!
| been discovered. We shall not be al ou
| least distance from the planet until tn,
10th of December next.
| Jupiter is in the constellation Leo and /
I a morning star, rising at about 3 q. m.
| Saturn and Uranus, in the Scorpion ar,
| both evening stars and both now set be
| tween and . p. m
| Neptune. in Taurus, is about five degree
| west of Mars, but is. of course, far beyont
| the reach Of the naked eye.
| The moon will be new on the 9TH at 81
| a. m, and full on the 21st at J:17 o. m
| Washington mean time. She will be il
| perigee-nearest the earth-on the 7th at /
| a. M, and apogee-farthest from the earth
on the 21st at l .. m.