Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-08-01

each Of these stars was attended by a dark
satellite sufficiently massive to cause the
luminous body to have an orbital motion.
The companion of Sirius has since been
SCENT was discovered in 1862 by Alvan
Clark IT,. while testing the performance of
cyon has thus far eluded the closest search
for 1t, no astronomer doubts the existence
of such a body.
Affairs Odd Satellite.
Another star Of the first magnitude-one
Of those visible tonight-has recently been
added to the list of suns which evidently
have dark or nearly dark massive satellites
revolving round them. Observations made
last year upon the spectrum of Altar, at
the Paris Observatory. for the purpose Of
determining the rate Of the stars movement
lin line of sight''-that Is, directly toward
US or from us-give evidence of regular
variation in its movement, which has a
period Of forty-three days and q secondary
period of five days, and the conclusion
reached Is that Affair is in orbital motion
under the influence Of one or more massive
bodies with which no telescope has thus far
been able to reveal
TO return to the star 20, Ophiuchi, it's ap-
parent fnsignificance is, after all, only be-
cause of its enormous distance from US.
According to measurement of it's "paral-
lax" made by DIR. Kruger in 1S5s-62. this
dst lance Is about twenty light years.
rather more than twice that of Sirius. It's
distance being known. the actual dimen-
Sicns OF the system can easily be deter
mined. The combined masses of the three
bodies which compose the system are %
times that of the sun. 1t is fair to assume
therefore. that the larger of the two visible
stars considerably surpasses the sun in
size. The mean distance apart of the two
stars. or suns-for that is what they are
Is about twenty-eight times the earth's dis
lance from the sun, or very nearly that of
Neptune from the sun: but SO great is the
nr1f foft Of I, 1fk
the other being regarded as stationary
that their greatest distance apart is nearly
three times their least. The secondary
orbit of the companion star-that in which
1t circles around the dark body-is consider
ably larger than that of the planet Mars
1t will be seen. therefore, that small as this
star system looks from our distant point
OF View 1t occupies section of space quite
Twice as large as does the solar system.
August Metcors.
On the nights of the 9th and 10th of the
month we may look for the August meteors
the 'Perseids.' as they are now commonly
called. The position OF the radiant" of
these meteors-the point in the heavens
from which they all appear to move. in
| whatever part Of the heavens they may be
scents indicated on the planisphere. AS
will be seen. 1t is at 8 o'clock low in the
northeast. beneath Cassfopeia Meteors be-
longing to this system may be seen from the
-Vth VI ouiy u TIE eild OIL August, they
are the most numerous on one or the other
OF the nights named above. OF late years
the display of the Perseids has usually been
exceptionally fine. They are well worth
taking little trouble to observe.
On the 9th there will be a total eclipse of
the sun. not visible. however. In any part
Of the United States. The line of totaltty
runs from point at about the middle of
the North Pacific ocean, where the eclipse
begins at sunset, on the Sth, across the
island OF Yezo. in japan, through the north
ern part of Asia. the island of Nova Zemb.a
ana the northern part of Norway, where
the eclipse will begin soon after sunrise on
the 9th. Two parties of American astrono-
lners have made arrangements for observ-
ing the eclipse in Japan. One of these ex-
petitions. sent out by the Lick Observa-
tory. Is In charge Of Prof. Schaeberle The
other was organized by Prof. Todd, the
astronomer OF Amherst College. who has
charge of it. Mr.. Arthur James Curtis
bears the expense of this party, and has
taken 1t to Japan in his yacht, Coronet
hngi1sh astronomers will observe the
eclipse in Norway, and Russian in Nova
Zemola. The observations will be mainly
directed to study Of the corona. photo
srapnlc and spectroscopic, this being the
only solar feature which can be observed
at no other time than during a total eclipse
fhe totality will last less than two min
utes. SO that some very lively work will
have to be done.
! partial eclipse of the moon will occur
on the night of the I'D and morning of the
sd. 1t will be visible throughout the United
states. The moon will enter the shadow at
twenty-four minutes past midnight, east
ern time. and will leave the shadow at $50
am. At the middle of the eclipse about
three-fourths of the moons face will be
obscured.
Planets of the Month.
None of the planets is now in position to
be of especial interest to the naked-eye OBJ
server. The position of Saturn has already
been pointed out. Uranus is short dis
lance to the eastward of Saturn, at the
point Indicated on the planisphere, but Is
invisible to the naked eye. Mercury, Venus
and Jupiter are all evening stars, but are
too near the sun to be visible. Mercury
Will, however make its appearance low in
the west after sunset by the middle of the
month.
Mars Is now In the constellation Taurus,
about ten degrees southwest from the
fielades. IT is now an evening star. rising
at about IL 80 pm. Neptune, invisible. of
course Is also in Taurus. 1t rises about
an hour and half later than Mars.
New moon will occur this month on the
9TH. at two minutes past midnight, Wash
lngton mean time-cefncident, of course,
with the total phase spf the solar eclipse
The moon fulls on the 23d, at 2 am-the
time of the middle oe5the lunar eclipse
The moon will be in t35iTigee" on the 18th
and in "apogee'' on the 27th. Her position
at . pm. Tor every evening of the month
on which she Is above the horizon at that
hour Is shown on the plahisphere.
l
SOnR nj Anos OnlfO.