Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-03

glass as a single star, their actual distance
apart is no less than five thousand million
miles.
The Lyre now seen directly above the
Swan. though small and by no means
striking constellation, is astronomcalIy
very interesting one. Its principal star,
Alpha Lyrae, better known as Vega. Is one
of the three brilliants of the northern hem
isphere, it's rivals being Capella and Arc
turus. Vega is a "Sirian" star shining
with the bluish-white light which char
acterfzes the splendid Dog star, and like it
giving spectrum strongly marked with
the hydrogen lines and indicating an in
tensely high temperature. The distance of
this brilliant star from US Is a matter about
which astronomers are still at sea. A mean
value of ten Of the most trustworthy de-
Examinations, made previously to that Of
DIR. Eikin in 1888, makes its distance about
nineteen light years" DIR. Elkin could
make but little OF the stars parallax, the
probable error which is always taken
account of in measurements of great nicely,
being larger than the quantity which he
sifted out finally for paralax. The star
more than forty light years distant-not
Lessor 1t may be SO distant as to show no
parallax at all, the probab ility being that
it's distance is somewhere about nine-five
light years. 1t goes without saving that If
this is the case Vega is one of the giants
among the celestials, far SURPRISING even
Sirius in volume.
The DOuble-DOuble.
Just below Vega may be seen two stars
of the fifth magnitude, which make with
Vega small, nearly equal-sided triangle.
That on the left is Epsilon Lyrae, some
times called the Double-double Even an
opera glass will show that it is double
star, and very pretty object it is for this
instrument, while small telescope will
show that each of the components Whicn
form the double star is itself double y
larger instrument will bring into view three
other stars, situated between the two
which form the wide pair, making in all
seven stars where the unaided eye sees but
one.
The pair of third-magnitude stars which
form the southern corner of the triangular
Lyre are Beta and Gamma Lyrae. The
upper of the two, Beta, is variable, ranging
from the third to the fourth magnitude
and going through its changes in perloa
of about thirteen days. 1t is particularly
interesting from the fact that it has TWO
maxima. or conditions of greatest bril-
lianoy, and two mnama, at one OF when II
is less brilliant than at the other rms Is
a good object for the amateur star-gaZer
to keep an eye upon. About midway pc
tween these two stars lies the curious rug
nebula which, seen through large teies-
cope, bears a very striking resemblance 10
one of those smoke rings which tooacco
smoker sometimes amuses nimse1 III seaa-
ing floating through the air.
Another noteworthy fact about the Tyre
is that according to the observations OF
Herr Stumpe the sun, with its famiv OF
rlanets, is travelling through space almost
lation. According to this astronomer our
distance from the Tyre is diminishing at
the rate of about eight miles a second, or
10000, 900 miles a year.
The Planets.
Mercury will be a morning star until the
18th and after that date an evening star,
but it will not be visible during the month.
Venus is a brilliant morning star. She
shone with her greatest brilliancy as such
on the Sd Of last month. She will be at
her greatest elorgation from the sun west
-45 degrees A inutes-on the 9TH.
Mars is an evening star, in the constella-
ton Leo moving rapidly eastward. 1t will
be found tonight directly north of Regu-
Ius, one degree distant from that star. On
the 18th it will be in conjunction with
Jupiter, only minutes-less than one
fourth Of the apparent diameter of the
n oon-south of Jupiter, and the two plan
cts can be viewed together through a tele-
scope, presenting very interesting combi-
nation.
Jupiter is an evening star, in Leo, eight
degrees east of Reguus and moving east
ward but less rapidly than Mars. 1t is
still a fine object for the telescope.
Saturn is an evening STAR in the constel-
lation Libra. 1t is at about one-third of
che distance from Antares to Spca. ap
peariny as a frSt magnitude star or an
Uranus is now almost exactly south Of
Saturn, distant. from it a tritie less than
two degrees. The planets can be seen to-
gether through an opera glass. Uranus
appears a star of about the sixth mag
nitude, end is therefore just within the
limit Of naked eye vision. There are sew
eral stars here of about the same magni-
tude, but the Planet can be detected, from
its movement, after few nights obser-
walton.
Neptune is a morning star in Taurus.
The Solar Eclipse.
On the Goth there will be an annular
eclipse of the sun, visible in North Ameri-
ca south Of the seth parallel of latitude;
in the northern part Of South America; on
the western coast Of Africa, and in parts
Of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The
path of the annulus, about twenty-five
miles broad, will pass through the central
part of Mexico and through the West In
dies, striking Havana, in Cuba and Cape
st. Rogue. at the northeastern corner of
Brazil. At Washington the eclipse will be-
gin at $3.50 a. m. and end at 11:11 am, east
ern standard time. About one-half of the
sun disc-the southern haIf-will be
eclipsed.