Evening star., 1897-12-04

These white "Sirian" stars are probably
the hottest. as well as intrinsically the
brightest, of the heavenly host. They are
less far advanced in their career than our
sun. which. seen from sufficiently great
distance. would become a yellow star, a
star like Cav ella.
In the exact east at about the same alti-
tuGe as Sirius, Is Procyon, the Smaller Dog
fCanis MINOR, or as its name signifies, the
Fore Dog. name given to the star ap-
parentiy because it rises just before the
Dog Star, Sirius (Canis Major. Both OF
these dogs, ii is to be remarked. were prob
ably originally single stars and not constel-
lations, the pictures of them to be found
On modern charts to the contrary notw:th-
standing. There are near Procyon no stars
which one can possibly work into the like
ness of a dog, nor, indeed, of any animal;
and while the neighborhood of Sirius is
quite rich in stars which chartmakerS have
managed tC include within the figure of a
dog. it is doubtful whether this shape was
seen until after the bright star had re-
ceived its name. The most reasonable eX-
PLANTATION of the name Dog Star given to
Sirius is that the star was regarded by the
ancient Egyptians as a sort of celestial
watch dog its rising in July giving notice
Of the approf ching inundation of the Nile.
Castor nnd Pollux.
At the right of ProcyCn. between east
and northeast, and directly beneath Capel-
Ia are the wins Castor and PolluX, the
principal stars in the constellation GeGlini,
the third of the zooiacal consultations.
Here again we must pick n quarrel with
the chart makers. There ara stars in
plenty in the constellation Gemin, but the
most perverted imagination cannot con-
scientously find among them the figures of
the Twins as they are deineated on the
chart We are cr the search for sound
sense in the formation OF consultations,
and it requires no great shraw 1ness to per-
ceive that the twins seen by the ancient
star gaZers were simply the two stars which
form this very conspicuous pair. LyiL &
near the suns path, these two stars form
ed one excellent marker for noting the
progress of the year, ard look at
them tonight we can easily understand -,hy
they were called .he DcuDeS--the Twins.
10 complete this story of the Twins, it
lhay be added that the names which they
Dear, Castor and PoIuX, are undoubt edy
borrowed rames, these names having been
very different order The original Castor
and Polux-the Dark one and the Bright
one-the brothers Of Helea and CIytcm-
restra, were night AMI day, has been
abundantly proved by comparative myth
closy- Hence the story that they shared
between them the gift of Immortality. one
Of them being above ground. living, while
the other was dead in the lower world, Il
the character of the neurological twins
but which has no Elea! ing whatever when
told of these two stars.
Mira and iIgoI.
Mira, the "wonderful'' variable star in
the constellation Cetus, now crosses the
meridian shortly after . pm, almost ex-
actly midway between the horizon and the
zenith. With the aid of the planisphere it
should easily be identified. Note that it
lies about midway between Fomalhaut md
Aldebaran, and about II degrees southwest
of MenEar, which star-a star of The sec
ond ma agnitude-forms with Plciades and
the pair Of stars which mark the head of
Aries a large equilateral triangle
How Mira is deporting itself this year it
is impossible to say here, cloudy weather
having prevented any recent observations
OF it. 1t will probably reach Il r,axlrlurn
some time this month. and ny The 1st of
January its brightness should be visibIy on
the decline. The period of this most re-
markable of varables is about eleven
months: its range of brilliancy is; from
about the tenth magnitude away below
the reach of the naked eye-to the third
and sometimes nearly to the second mag
nitude. Its period of visibility now falls at
time when the star is well situated for
observing. and the beginner in star gazing
should not let slip this excellent oppor-
tunity of learning from personal observa-
Il
Algol will be at a minimum tonight at
S:Ss. Other minin,a convenient for observ-
ing will occur On the 18th. at 1921 pm.
and on the 2Sth, at 40 pm. The period of
Algol il two days. twenty hours. forty mine
minutes: its range of variability is be-
tween the second and fourth magnitudes
The star is now very nearly overhead al
pm
The Planets.
Mercury has been an evening star since
he nf 1,rt
greatest elongation east from the sun
twenty degrees-on the Goth of this month
For a week or so before that late 1t may
be looked for after sunset in the southwest
1t runs so low, however. because Of the
great inclination of its path to the horizon
that it is not likely to be seen except when
the sunset sky is unusually free from va
pors.
Venus is still a morning star, ri5in., about
an hour before the sun. Between Venus
and the sun now lie in order Uranus Sat
urn and Mars. all. therefore. morning stars
but all too near the sun to De visible 10 the
naked-eye observer
Jupiter is now a magnificent morning
star, rising between / and a n., anI be-
ing well above the horizon long before day
break. On the Goth he will be in uuadI;;-
ture with the sun-rinety degrees ives, OF
the sun-and will rise at midnight.
Neptune is now in excellent position
to be found by one who has a telescope of
lot less than two inches aperture 1t Is
a little less than two degrees west and
about one degree north of the third-r1ag-
ntude star which tips the southern horn
of Taurus. Neptune shines as star OF
about the tenth magnitude.
On the 21st. at am, Washington mean
time the sun will enter Capricorn and the
tropical winter will begin.
Century Cycle Club.
The Century Cycle Club made a run last