The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-01-08
The Heavens for January.

At the beginning of the new year
every planet in the heavens visible
to lthe naked eye is morning star
with the exception of Jupiter. The
planet Neptune, which can never be
seen without the aid of telescope,
is now high up in the east at dark in
the contellation Taurus, near the
bright red star Aldebaran of that
group. Mercury just at present is
on the opposite side of the sun from
us, but it's swift motion will soon
bring it into view in the western sky
soon after sunset. 1t will attain its
greatest eastern elongation on the
23d, at which time it may be seen
about an hour and a half behind the
sun and few degrees north OF the
suns track.
Venus is the most splendid object
in the morning sky, and the observer
cannot mistake it on account Of its
great brilliancy. 1t rises about three
hours ahead of the sun about twenty
degrees south of the east point Of
the horizon. Venus is now moving
almost directly from US at very
rapid rate, and it's brilliancy is rap
idly decreasing.
Mars rises abou! 5 o'clock in the
morning almost directly in the suns
track, but its great distance renders
the observation of it at this time un-
favorable
Jupiter comes to its opposition ON
the Oath. and for several months it
will be unrivalled for briIiancy and
interest. 1t rises at 1908 O'Clock
p. m., about twenty degrees north Of
the east point of the horizon. This
gigantic world is more than thirteen
hundred times as large as the earth
and has revolving around it five
moons, one of which is larger than
the planet Mercury. Foar of these
moons may be easily seen with
small telescope, and their rapidly
changing positions forms one of the
most interesting studies for the anna
teur astronomer in all the heavens.
Jupiter revolves around the sun in
about twelve years. and it rotates on
its axis in little less than ten hours.
Both Saturn and Uranus are in un-
favorable positions for observation
now, but these planets will soon
make their appearance in the east be
fore midnight.
Along the ecliptic Cancer is just
rising, Gemini is we'll up, then Tau
rus with the Pleiades and Hyades,
then Aries reaching to the zenith.
Passing the zenith is Pisces, then
Aduarius and lastly Capricornus, just
setting. In the east Orion is the
most prominent constellation. A
telescope directed to the middle one
of three small stars to the right and
little below the belt of Orion will
reveal the great nebula of Orion,
iustl- considered the greatest marvel
of the heavens. 1t may be family
seen with the unaided eye on clear
moonless night, but telescope OF
considerable power will show hun.
dreds of small stars entargled in q
guy web of faint nebu!osisy extend
ing over vast region Of space many
thousand times greater in area than
the orbit Of Neptune. Just what the
strange object is astronomers do not
with certainty know. The spectre
scope proves it to consist largely of
incandescent gases While this is
the most remarkable Of the nebulae
there are about 5000 others scatter
ed over the heavens. One signif-
cant circumstance connected with
them is that they are most numerous
where the stars are fewest. Many
astronmers think that they are vast
masses of extremely attenuated mat
ter slowl y condenslng into new sys-
tens of worlds. According to this
theory our solar system was once
rebula from whics4 has been evolved
the earth and all the the planets.
As the trees in the forest may be
found in every stage of growth and
decay, SO the stars in the heauens
pass through similar periods of
cosmic life and death, but these
periods extend through countless