The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-01-11

very much resembles Praeseps. Ind which
Is. perhaps, even more beautiful than that
as ds,S, teiescop.c object Is the beautiful!
Of Ierec,is; " lies about midway between
tho central bright Star In Perseiis and The
folisteilation Cassiopeia, and Gan easily
be found by sweeping this region with an
opera glass. While surveying this cluster
we are not far from the famous nebula la
Annromeca, Its position near the north
srnmest of the three stars which form the
belt OF Andromeda, is shown on the chart.
10 the naked eye this nebula appears us
2 blurred star which becomes SIN more
nay Wnen looked at through an opera
glass 1t IS pointed out more because the
reader may like TO know where 1t IL than
because he Is likely to find 1t very stiik-
ing object with any optical aid at his
command.
r, Let US turn to Orion and look for the
,Eea,t Nebula. Here again We shall be
Tess We use at least three-inch tele-
scope. We can see with an opera glass a
rant indication of nebulosity"-that is
ABOUT all. The three stars In the belt of
orion form one side of diamond shaped
inquire, the lower corner OF wh.ch is mark
ed by q short line of three rather faint
stars These stars lie In the midst OF the
nonnla; the central one being Theta,
multiple star. consisting. as seen through
a large TELESCOPE OF six stars. and very
nebua M t ts no. IN speakbns OF the
part of the nebula Hes around this star,
The opera glass will show here quite
huHlDNr OIL stars, FORMING n group which
e worth looking at for its own sake, and,
u the night is clear and your eyes are
keen, you viii find that the BACKGROUND
on winch these stars shine Is perceptibly
navy. The misty light of the nebuia re-
quires to be condensed by large tele-
scope before we can make much OF it.
Double stars are exceedingly interesting
telescope objects Among those suited to
small Telescope and easily pointed out
are. fn Gamma Apdrprpadan he l,,i,. he
star IN the left foot of the maiden, one Of
the most splendid of colored doubles, con-
sisting of a bright orange star, with a
green companion; (2) Castor the more
northerly of the Twins, the components of
which are white and of about the same
DGiiancy; tD Gamma Arietis, the fourth
magnitude star in the left horn of the
Ram both componnents white; "a Gamma
l.eonis, in the Sickle, the third star reck-
oned from kegulus This last star Is OF
interest, also. as marking very nearly the
lI r,,ni Of the November meteors
Venus continues to be n magnificent
morning star now rising about three ana
half hours before the sun.
Mercury VIII be at its greatest eastern
the sur--1S degrees-on the I'D. For a few
days about that date 1t may be looked for
near the horizon between west and south
west. a half hour or so after sunset
Jupiter is now the reiguing planet and
at o'clock is shining gloriously in the
eastern sky. Since the 25th OF November
jupiter has been retrograding, or moving
westward. 1t Is now about midway he
Wcen the Twins and Regulus, IN Leo
There are In Its vicinity a number of stars
by means of which It's retrograde move
meni can easily be observed. particularly
If one Will use an orera glass. On the 23d
of his month Jur'ter win DO In opposition
10 the sun, crossing the meridian at mid
night and shining with Its greatest bril-
iiancy for this year. Its distance from us
viii then be, in round numbers, 450 0J1. 90
niles-about four ana half times the
distance OF the sun
None of the other planets Is now In po-
merS.