The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-08-02
THE SKIES IN AUGUST.


Extensive preparations have been 49,.
to carefully observe the total eclips. =, -
sur. which occurs Aug. .. and which -
ises to be the most interesting aStrano-
zeal event of the yea. Beginning n -.
north Atlantic ocG,n. the line Of ,o,.r.-
passes over the northern part OF Norwss
and Finland. across Siberia ana ,hro.~
the island Yezo. the shadow leaving a.
earth in crossing the Pacific ocean r.
most important scientific expeditions 4,
Guiding two from the United States nm
be stationed at Yczo. Russian astro,on.-
will go 10 Siberia. while other parties 4,
cludinS many tourists from Americ, a..
Europe. will be located at different min,
along the central track OF the shaaou, -
the Arctic regions. 1t will be seen a.
partial eclipse i'm western Europe. Green-
land. Alaska and northern Asia.
a partial eclipse OF the moon occurs n,
the night OF Aug. p and %. which will ~
visible entire 10 North and South America
The times OF the phases are as follows 4,
central standard time: Moon enter.
shadow Aug. -. 1:24 D.. m: middle =,
eclipse. Aug. %. 1856 a. m: moon leave.
shadow Aug. .. 2:3o a. m. The maximum
observation will be 13-loo OF the moons dia.
ameter. There will not be another eclinss
of the moon until in January. 1898.
All the planets except Mars and Neptun.
will be evening stars until the 18th. whe,
Jupiter passes the sun and becomes
morning star. On account Of his nearness
to the sun the giant planet will not be IA
vorably located for observation for several
months.
Mercury will set an hour later than tha
sun on the last evenings of the month. hu,
will not reach greatest eastern elongatio,
until about the middle of September.
Venus is also very close TO the sun. SET
ting at 700 p. m. or the last dav ~
August. Venus passes Jupiter on the "a.
the two planets being less than one degree
apart at the time of their conjunction
Mercury passes one degree north OF Jupi-
ter on the 5th and eighteen minutes north
of Venus on the sth.
The new moon passes sixteen minute.
north OF Jupiter on the 9Th. in the morn
ing. and one and three-fourths degrees
north of Venus and two degrees north a,
Mercury in the afternoon OF the same oay
1t is to be regretted that the conditions
are not favorable TO the observation Of IN.
close conjunction OF these planets with
each other and with the moon.
Mars now rises half an hour before mid
night, and an hour earlier at the close %
the month. He is moving northeastward
in the constellation Taurus. and will pass
south Of the Pleiades on the Ilth and north
OF the Hyades about fifteen DAYS later.
The moon passes Mars on the 20. in the
afternoon. and a second time on the sis,.
early In the morning.
Saturn will move one degree eastward in
the constellation Libra during the month
and sets at 900 y. m. on the 3ist. The
elevation of the earth above the rings ia
now gradually increasing and will continue
to do SO throughout the remaining months
Of the year.
Uranus is near Saturn in Libra. and Nep-
tune remains In the constellation Taurus.
At 3 o'clock in the evening on the first
day Of the month the Milky Way extends
across the sky from north to south. bend
ing to the east around Polaris. Especially
attractive. with or without optical aid. is
that part of the galaxy as now seen south
OF the celestial equator. with its numerous
nebulous masses of light and immense
clusters of stars. The bright stellar gems
visible at this hour are Vega Arcturus.
Affair, SDica and Antares. with Saturn
located between the two last mentioned.
Ursa Major is west and Cassiopeia east oc
the meridian i'm the north. while Pegasus
is seen rising in the east and Andromedae
in the northeast Hercules is directly over
head, with Bootes and Corona Borealis 10
the west and Lyra and Cygnus to the east.
Virgo. Libra. Scorpio. Sagitarius. Capri
cornus and Aquarius are the visible eclip-
tic consultations.
August gives US five moon changes. last
quarter occurring at 1924 y. m. on the Isl
and again on the 31st at ASS a. m. New
moon occurs at IL :02 p m. on the sfh. first
quarter on the 18th at 3:o2 p. m. and full
moon at 1:0i a. m. on the sd.
". p. WALLHEISER.
Bedford. Ind.