The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-01-02
THE JANUARY HEAVENS.
fT NO OTHKE TIME on THE yEdR
Arr THE SKIES 50 BIAUgIFUL.
About Eleven O'Clock tho Constellation
Orion - on or Near tho Meridian
The Planets TO be seen.

Al no other time OF year arc the ssics
50 beautiful as they appear on "a clear,
frosty evening ia tho month o. January.
about 10 or n o'clock, when the con-
sielaUon orion IS on or near the me-
uoisn. Tor az that hour most Of the
brightest stars are above our horizon. and
tAcy sparkle with unwOntcd brilnancy
through the transparent air OF winter.
onion may Dee easily recognized by three
stars OF tho second magnitude ia @ row
1rming the belt They are popularity
AuOWn as The tl ana Yard. and in the
taclent BOOK OF Job We read of them
Na The houus OF orion. They suhtcud eX-
t.Ay tniee degrees OF angular measure
N.Dht, ana, tuleioIc. form convenient
AaIu-suck Tor the amateur astronomer.
Nolth Of The belt seven or eight degrees
Niu DC seen "a cOppcr-cOlOreu star OF tAc
INST magnitude known as beteiguese, anu
ih the opposite direction another equally
q eminent oqt whittier IN color, hitci
ac nrst ls In the right shoulder ana
tAe latter "a the ic!t loot or the same
constellation, orion.
Northwest OF these fifteen or twenty
-f slces ls Taurus, the Bun, one OF lne
twelve signs OF the Zodiac. across which
the sun passes in the month Of May.
iaurur contains TWO boduiIul asTdllsm7,
HyaQcs and the pleiades. The former
may De distinguished by means OF I'VE
Stars, so placed as TO form The letter Y.
The most brilliant star at the top OF the
leiicr IS AlQeDalan.
MARRIED A MORTAL.
Sul farther northwest are the Plci-
aces, OF seven stars. only six are now
visible 10 the naked eye. IL is SAID that
one Of these seven sisters married "a
mortal, and her light was Immediately
obscured as "a punishment IL was while
watching these heavenly bodies 10 guioc
the Trojan feet that the renowned pilot
falinurus, feu overheard and was
drowned
The Brightest star in This cluster is
Alcyoue. ana Professor Nader. of Dor
pat believed 10 10 be the central point
~ the universe, around which the sun
ana all the other stars reFoiNed in orbits
inconceiyably vast Further discussion Of
the subject. how avcr, failed 10 prove the
correctness of the learned Professor s.
theory Directly north or orion some
forty degrees is the magnificent star
tapeha, the Goat, brightest of AN in The
srces east OF BetelguCsc is lrocyou. or
the Little Dog. The three stars in orion s.
belt viii serve 20 point out Sirius. about
twenty degrees shuthcastward, the most
splendid OF an the fixed stars in either
hemisphere. 10 has been closely observed
~ alI ages, and numerous supersiiuons
are connected win &c., for n was formerly
believed 90 exercise great influence upon
The dest.nies ~ men, The Romans an-
nually sacrificed dog 10 Sirius. and the
Egyptians watched its risings with min-
gled feelings OF hope and fear. as ST was
ominous 20 them Of agricultural pros
perity or failure in harvest
THREE or THE PLANETS.
The planets that may be seen in The
evenings Of January, leW. are Mercury,
Jupiter. and Neptune. Mercury reaches
rs greatest eastern el0ngatiJR on the
sd, and can Dc seen for few Gays bee
viii look I'm the southwest just al dark.
Jupiter viii Doe in opposition 20 the sun
this month. and. therefore. nearer the
earth than 40 any other time. Earl! 100
Che month Sc rises about I O'Clock. nut
later on % can be- seen I'm the northeast
az dark Throughout the month % VIII
shine. fle most splendid body in the
evening SKY. ON the 2d and 18th 81 VIII
Doe ln conjunction with the moon. Ncy-
tune o. now evening star bat lis distance
from the earth is so great 10 requires
eCod telescope 10 show it's presence. DO
lays between the horns of the Bull Venus
Is d splendid object ia The eastern sAy
ot mornin. She VIII continue 90 give
notice of approaching day for some
months to come.
MARS. SATURN. AND URANUS
d Mars is morning star He is SEQ far
from Do earth. aud his southern dcciila-
ton SIS SO great That De is not an object
OF much interest just now. but neHt Dee
cember he viii Doe in opposition. and viii
SHINE with twenty-five times his present
lustre. Mars SIS believed To- he inhahi-
tafed hY beings not altogether different
from man. The conditions that support
life are nearly the same there as here,
al least we have reasons for thinking SO.
Saturn and Uranus are both morning
stars. The latter is tciescoulc planet
lut the former can DE seen ass a nrst
magnitude star amy clear morning in the
southeast. To rises several hours before
day. and may Doe known hy iis being the
ls no danger OF any one iailuH Too recos-
ni1e tlc goddess of love ana hoau,f