Evening star., 1897-07-31
about Christmas. when it will enter tn,
sign Capricorn.

sign Capricorn.
Signs Of the Zodiac.
The symbol Of Capricorn is Chinese
looking affair, and is a crude representa-
tion, apparently, Of the monster which
stands for Capricorn on the chart-a goat
with fish body and tail. A conspicuous
pair of stars-the brighter of the second
ruagnitude-which stand in the head and
horns of this mongrel goat marks very
nearly the eastern limit Of this sign
Next comes AQuarius symbolzed by
pair OF wavy lines indicative of water The
termination of this sign is near the center
OF triangle Of three second magnitude
stars. the upper two Of which are IN the
shoulders Of the Waterman.
Inc twelfth sign-the sixth of those Low
NisibieIs Pisces. the Fishes. the symbol
OF which obviously represents a pair of
er This sign terminates at the vernal
ters Aries.
It will be observed that the "signs" do
not match the consultations which bear
the same names. each sign being to the
west of the corresponding consteila ton
occupying the place Of the preceding con-
stellation Thus. the sign Libra is in the
place OF the constellation Virgo; the sign
Scorpfo in that of the constellation Libra
and so on along the whole line This state
OF things has been brought about by the
procession of the equinoxes" The eoui-
noxes are not fixed points, but are slowly
sliding along the ecliptic-the suns path
In direction from east to west-at a rate
winch IN the last 1000 years has advanced
them about 80 degrees. the length of a
sign. They drag with them the whole belt
OF the twelve signs. while the consultations
are, of course, changeless in position.
Hence the displacement.
MeteOrs.
On the evenings of the 9th and 10th of
the mouth keep lookout for meteors. or
shooting stars" directing attention par
ticula-ly to the northeastern quarter of the
heavens After three or four have been
seen 1t will become obvious that they all
shoot from the direction of one particular
point IN the sky-a point below the consteI-
iation Casslopeia. This point is marked on
the pianisphere Meteor Radiant" 1t NAV
be located pretty exactly by running a line
from @ tne nrst-the uppermost-star in the
w OF Cassiopeia to the fourth star and
proionginG the line to a distance about
equal to that Of the two stars apart. The
point lies in the constellation Perseus;
hence these meteors. which annually are
seen at this season in greater or less num-
bers. are called "Pcrseids.'
Meteors are now known to be simply
particles or small masses Of matter vary
ing IN size, perhaps, from that of a
marble to that of a paving stone. which
circle round the sun, like the short-period
comets, In highly elliptical orbits, some
OF which cross the earth's path. They
them moving in practically the same or
oit. These particles Of matter being struck
by the earth and entering its atmosphere
with velocity 80 or 100 times that of a
r1ne ball. are quickly consumed by the
heat engendered by the friction of the air.
their tracks being lighted up momentarily
by their fatal splendor. A large number
OF OF meteor systems is now recognized. AL
tnough the meteors belonging to any par
tlcular system always move in the same
direction after entering the eartll's atmos-
phere, or nearly the same. and their tracks
are therefore parallel with one another
yet, from the law of perspective they ap-
pear to radiate from some single point
The position of this point or radiant.
gives its name to the system. These Per-
seids seem to come. as just stated from
point in Perseus: the Leonids-the Noyem-
ber meteors-from point in Leo; the ORR
onids from point in Orion, and so on OF
late years the annual display of Perseids
has been remarkably fine. the meteors fire.
quently being of great size and leaving
long trails. Keep lookout for them.
The Planets.
Mercury has been an evening star since
July ID and will continue to be an evening
star throughout the month, attaining its
greatest elongation east-27 degrees 1S min
utes-on the 18th. 1t ought to be visible
tonight, half an hour after sunset, low in
the west. if the sky is clear
Venus is a brilliant morning star, about
three hours In advance of the sun.
Mars and Jupiter are both evening stars
in the constellation Leo, Mars a little to
the east of Jupiter. Both set before pm.
Saturn and Uranus are evening stars in
Libra, just within the grasp of the Scor-
pion's claws. Saturn appears as an orange
yellow star of the first magnitude: Uranus
Of the sixth magnitude and therefore visi-
bic to a keen-eyed observer, is trifie over
two degrees a little east of south from
Saturn. Both planets can be seen together
through an opera glass. Neptune in Tau
rus is morning star, rising between /
and am.