Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-04-09
THE APRIL SKIES.
Mhe Astronomical Events of tho Month
Portions of tho Planets Fair Luna.

All of the frst-magnitude stars visible in
March will be In the field of view at the
beginning of April but, will be farther to
the westward. Capela, of the constela-
ton of the Charoteer, may be seen in the
northwest after sunset: Aldebaran, of the
Bull, in the west; Betelgeuze and Rigel, OF
Orion, in the southwest: Sirius, of the
Greater Dog, farther to the southwest than
the two latter: Procyon of the Lesser Dog
also in the southwest, and higher above
the horizon than Sirius; Castor and Pol
lux, of the Twins high in the west; Regu-
lus, of the Lion, close to Saturn, a little
south of the zenith; Spica, of the Virgin,
in the southwest; Arcturus, of the Cow
herd, in the east, and Vega, the most con-
spicuous luminary of the star group of
| the Tyre, in the northwest. Spica, Arctu-
rus. and Vega are coming into a more fav-
| orable position for observation. while
Aldebaran, Betelgeuze. Rigel and Sirius
will vanish from the evening sky of April
and not appear until the closing weeks of
| the autumn.
The last quarter of the March moon oc-
ours on the 4th, there is new moon on the
18th, first quarter on the 20th and full
moon on the 2Sth. The conjunctions be-
tween moon and planets begin on the Sth,
when Mars and Luna give us a very pretty
picture in the early morning hours, which
! unfortunate time will probably prevent
many of us from seeing 1t. Three days
later Venus and the moon have meeting,
| followed by Mercury and the almost faded
crescent of the moon, being at their closest
| for the month. On the nth Neptune has
! the same right ascension with the moon,
but the more than the sixty degrees of
| declination between the two enectually
prevents our having a pretty tableau. On
the Goth Jupiter and the quartering moon
are within two degrees of one another,
while on the 2Sth Saturn and Uranus fol-
] lou In ha nfAn no Cd
series to a close.
Mercury is in superior conjunction with
the sun on the 18th at midnight and pass
| ing, to the eastward becomes an evening
star. in which category 1t will remain until
| early in June, when 1t is In inferior con-
junction and once more joins the morning
group. The planet Is now so close to the
sun that we cannot see its disk, and, in
fact, It Is only when 1t is at its farthes'
end of its swing about the sun that we are
permitted to see II.
| To Jupiter belongs the place of most In
terest to us. as on the 18th the King oil
planets reaches the quarter post on his
course about the heavens. He Will con-
tnue his journey toward the sun, getting
less and less distinct. until Aug H. wher
he Is in conjunction with the sum- anc
changes from an evening to a morning
star, in which gathering he will be founc
for the remaining months of the year
Jupiter, as we nave frequently SdNi, IL
the greatest of the planets-n fact. he !.
greater than all the other planets rolled
into one. The relative insignifcance o.
the earth when compared with Jupiter |.
well illustrated by the fact that II We
took 1900 globes each as big as our earth
and made them into a single globe, Il
would only be as large as the greatest o.
the planets. AS we look at Jupiter through
a glass; we see a number of bands abou
} his disk, which are occasionally more
J marked than at other times; In fact
: sometimes they can hardly be seen at all
These markings of the great planet, a
: first somewhat puzzng, are merel!
, masses of cloud, which surround and OBJ
scure whatever may constitute his inter
3 Tor.
? Mars remains morning star, and Is VI
7 some three hours ahead of the sun, and |
' gradually widening the distance. Thi
! eccentric planet is much nearer us some
: times than at others, and we shall have t
wait until 1909 before we can again have
S as near as it was in 1892, when 1t was onl
( 80, 00O, 900 miles away. 1t Is our next doc
3 neghbor in relation to distance from tn
= sun, and has been found by astronomer
i to be by far the most interesting plane
v in our solar system to study. Mars
0 much smaller than the earth, its diamete
S being 1853 miles, and II Is much lighte
t than the earth. The planet makes a revo
h luton around the sun once in 6S7 of ou
:. days, that being the length of the Mar
!. year. 1t turns on its axis In "a hours
!. minutes. The atmospheric conditions o
t Mars, so far as scientists have been abb
n to study them. are such as to lead to tn
4 belief that the planet Is inhabited. an
o some extremists go so far as to declar
|, that the people are highly civilized.
d Venus keeps moving toward the sur
o and has now reached a point within a
y hour and half of him. This distanc
will be reduced to zero early in Jul,
n when the planet will be In superior cor
Il junction, and after that It will be an ever
# ing star the remainder of the year. TIL
d planets diameter Is now slowly increai
q Ing in size, but In December we shall fin
= 1t half as large again as 1t is at presen
when 1t will shine as beautiful obje'
II In the crisp. clear air.
Y Neptune is one of the evening stars an
d is slowly lessening the distance separatir
e him from his point of conjunction with II
Is sun. It takes the planet until Decemb'
W to traverse the space between conjunctio
!. and opposition. at which latter time he WI
% be most fRvorabIy situated for ;observ'
n ton. But It is only those who are 70
Vt tunate enough to have look through
l. telescope who can distinguish the plan
J. from his surroundings.
10 Uranus begins, the monthly record
W conjunctiops with the moon and disti
T. guishes hlm34lf by again playing the san
o role ct the CLOSE OF the month, neith
ID meeting being suniciently close to prov
Is particularly attractive. The planet IL 1t
A. a. 4 : S~....A a. <lz, ann alla fiou ~ tho T2v