The herald., 1896-12-13
IN THE DECEMBER SKIES
Gorgeous Venus in the West-Her
Meeting With the Moon

MeetlHS WIFI lue MOOu
Since midsummer the heavens have
put on a somewhat changed appearance,
showing that the heavenly scene shifter
has been right busy, and that he has
evidently made UP his mind that the
setting of the winters tableaux shall
equal in brilliancy those of the other
seasons of the year. Magnificent Orion,
the most striking and splendid of all
the consultations, now greets.-us two or
three hours after the close of evening
twilight, with its splendid first magni-
tude stars Betelguese and Rigel. In
the eastern side of the sky also, and
further to the north than Orion, is the
beautiful group of the Twins, with Cas-
tor and Pollux shining conspicuously as
the brightest gems of the constellation.
Still higher above the horizon and lit
tie south Of the Twins, is the Bull, with
the brilliant orb Aldebaran marking
his eye. A little lower than Orion and
further north is the Lesser Dog, with
it's first magnitude star Procyon. Near
er the horizon and further south is the
Greater Dog, which contains the bright
est and most beautiful of our stars, the
dazzling Sirius. High in the northeast is
Capella. the leading light in the constel-
lation of the Chariot IN the southwest
is Affair, the middle and most brilliant
star of three arranged in a straight line,
of the group called the Eagle.
turning directly to the north, to the
region of the circumpolar stars-as the
stars are called that never set in our lat
titude-we see early in the evening the
Great Bear. or Dipper rising above the
horizon, just east of the northerly point,
it's two stars, farthest toward the
northeast, which are popularity called
the pointers" pointing upward and to-
ward the west, in the direction of the
Pole star. On the opposite of the Pole
star from the Great Bear is the Lady in
Her Chair, with it's five fairly bright
star arranged in the shape of an ex-
panded W. Between the Bear and the
Lady, In this order, beginning with the
Bear and going upward from the north
east are the consultations of the Lynx,
the Chariot and Perseus. Going down
ward from the Lady and circling around
the western side of the Pole star, are
Cepheus, the Swan and the Dragon. A
line drawn from the Bear through the
Pole star and the Lady and prolonged in
the same direction would encounter An
dromeda and Pegasus, or the Flying
Horse. The great square which repre-
sents the last named constellation is
northwest of the zenith and, next to
Orion. the Great Bear and the Lady in
| Her Chair, forms one of the most promi-
nent star groups seen in the armament
| although there Is not first magnitude
| star in it !. In an irregular streamstretch-
| ing from the northeast to the southwest
| the great zone Of faint light from mill
| ions of remote stars, known as the MILKY
Way, passes through the Chariot, Per-
seus, the Lady. Cepheus, the Swan, the
! Lyre and the Eagle and is lost to view OF
| dwellers in this latitude by the interven-
| ing southern latitude line.
| There are in the heavens besides tht
| stars and planets certain small patche'
, of faint light known as nebulae. II
| many cases these nebulae are merely
! clusters of stars, SO closely packed tha
Ithey give the appearance Of miniature
clouds. The greater number, however
| are masses of incandescent gas. Eithel
the dimensions of these great gatherings
| of yapor are Of enormous extent, or thu
nebulae themselves are very near, fo
some extend over an apparent area o
| many square degrees. 1t has general!
been supposed that the former supposi
tion is correct; that is. that the nebula
are a great way off, and of size tina
makes our solar system seem insignifi
cant. The proof rests solely upon tn
fact that no motion has ever been sat
isfactorily demonstrated to exist amonl
them. Now, to prevent falling into tn
other stars. they must move, and NOV