The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-06-14
Some Astronomical Happen
ings of Interest.
QUEER DoINGs OF COMETS
Arrival Of Sun at it's Extreme
Northerly Point.
coNJuNCTloNs OF THE MOON
Mars is Now the Morning Star and
Last Friday This interesting
Planet Reached its
Periheion

The most important of June's as
Economical happenings is the arrival of
the sun at the extreme northerly point
in its course. Ever since a few days
before last Christmas, when it was at
its furthest southerly reach, it has
been journeying in this direction. This
movement is, of course, apparent only,
being caused by the actual movement
of the earth in the opposite direction.
To the average person, though, 1T is
the sun and not the earth that seems
to do the moving, and this notion is
deferred to in all popular references
to phenomena of this sort. On Decem-
Der 21 the sun at noon was at a point
directly above the observer at the
Tropic of Capricorn. 1T dashed across
the equinoctial line on March 20, when
its noon mark was exactly overhead
to residents at the equator, and, still
speeding northward, on June 81, at the
summer solstice, or standing place of
the sum-" it swings in it's course, grazes
the zenith of the Tropic of Cancer, sets
out on its journey toward the south
and the middle of the six months day
at the north pole and of the six
months night at the south pole is
reached
The June moon, which was new on
the 18th and is full on the 25th, makes
one or two interesting conjunctions
with planets during the month. The
series began on the 5th with Mars;
then ON the 10th with Venus, a few
hours later on the same day with
Neptune. and early the following day
-;+b Of
GENTLY close to form striking celestial
pictures, and most of the planets in
terested are too faint to be very con-
spicuous actors. The magical white
arms of fair Luna will almost fold
Jupiter in their embrace on the 18th.
as less than a degree of space will
separate the two, and with this we
shall have, for the time being, to draw
this series of meetings between Jupi-
ter and the moon to a close, as the
planet is now drawing so close to the
sun that his brilliancy is far less than
it was. On the 21st Saturn and the
moon are together, or at least as close
as they will be in June, and the day
following the monthly events are
closed by a meeting between Uranus
and Luna.
Almost all the conspicuous star
groups visible during the winter months
have left us, except those in the neigh
borhood of the pole. and the distinc-
lively summer consultations have
taken their places. Orion, the Greater
Dog, the Lesser Dog, the Bull, the
Charioteer, and the Twins, with the
splendid luminaries, Betelguese, Rigel,
Procyon, Aldebaran, Capella, Castor
and Pollux have departed until next
fall or winter. The three last named
made their exit a few minutes after
sunset in the opening days of the
month and on evenings later on are
not seen at ALL The armament, how
ever, is by no means devoid of attrac-
tons because of the absence of these
orbs. In the southwest, about 8 o'clock
in the evening of the opening days of
June, Regulus may be seen in the tip
end of the handle of the sickle-shaped
group of stars composing part of the
constellation of the Lion, the opening
of the sickle being downward. Near
the zenith point is the brilliant red
star, Arcturus, of the Cowherd. In
the southeast, AntareS, of the Scor-
pion, may be seen. Affair is the mid
die and brightest star of three ar
ranged in a line diagonally near the
horizon in the east. About half way
from the horizon to the zenith in the
northwest is the bright steel-blue star
Vega, the leading luminary in the con-
stellation of the Tyre. At this hour,
at the beginning of June, the Great
Bear will be high above the Pole Star
in the northwest, and sinking toward
the horizon, while the W-shaped group
of stars comprising the most promi-
mart of CacSinpaio hA Lady
| in Her Chair, will be low in the north
east and mounting toward the zenith.
We are now very well acquainted
with the wonders among the stars, or
| planets, as they are called, but there
| is another class of rambers who are
apt to move about in most uncertain
and irregular fashion, and to which
| the name of comet has been given.
| They visit us we hardly know from
whence, except that it is from outer
space, and they are adorned in gleam-
| ing raiment, almost spiritual in its
| textures. They seem to be ever chang
| ing their appearance in a battling, but
still very fascinating manner. Some
times they take the astronomers by
surprise and blaze out with their long
tails just when they do not expect
them. Then, by way of compensation,
they frequently disappoint US by not
appearing when they have been most
IanXiously looked for. When a comet
appears, it is always a matter of in
terest to see whether it is an entirely
new object or whether it may not be
only another return of q comet which
| has paid us one or more previous
visits. The question then arises as to
how comets are to be identified. Here
we see a wide contrast between UNI
substantial bodies like comets and the
weighty, stately planets. Sketches of
the various planets, or of the face of
the sun, though they might show
slight differences from time to time,
are still always sufficiently character
istic, just as Photographic portrait
will identify the individual even
though the lapse of years will bring
some changes in his appearance. But
the drawing of comet is almost use
less for identification. One might as
well try to identify a cloud or a puff
of smoke by making a picture of it
THE highway which it follows through
the sky affords the only real means oil
recognition; for the comet, if undis
turbed by other objects, will never
change its actual orbit. But even this
mark often fails for IT. not. unfre