Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-11-07

unknown planet must ever elicit the adj
miration of even professional mathemati-
clans and astronomers. There never has
been more valid and convincing proof
OF the magic power of mathematical anal
ysis, and the ingenuity Of the human
mind Of applying 1t to a body. the remote
ness of which is positively dazzling.
The new planet was called Neptune and
its orbit probably forms the confines of
the SUMS domain, though, Of course, there
Is a possibility of rans-Neptunian
planet. Its distance from the sun is near
ly three billion miles. Neptune appears S
star OF the ninth magnitude, and conse
quently cannot be seen with the naked
eye. He performs circuit around the sun
in the long period of 164 years so that its
motion among the consultations is ex-
tremely slow. His bulk is eighty-five lines
that of the earth, but, on account OF his
small density, his mass is only a little
more than seventeen times that or the
earth. AS far as known Neptune has only
one satellite. though there Is some pr0ba-
bility that more will yet be discovered.
This satellite behaves In the same manner
as those of Uranus-vis., it moves back
wards-that Is. from east to west IL Nep-
tune Is inhabited by intelligent beings Ike
, ourselves, their physical constitution must
be vastly different from ours: Taking INTO
consideration that both the heat and the
light which the NeptunianS receive from
the sun is only the nine-hundredth part
of what we receive on our blessed eartn,
beings physically constituted like ourselves
could neither endure the intense cold that
must prevail on the surface or that planet
nor bear the eternal darkness surrounding
them.
THE CONSIDERATIONS.
The principal consultations that come
10 the meridian about o'clock during
the November evenings are Andromeda,
Pisces, Cassiopeia, and Cephus. The Great
Square of Pegasus has two handles, or
x.-Ifo oh "a ontftbUaQtlrn is n mart OIL
Pegasus, while the northeastern one IS
Andromeda. The brightest star OF An
dromeda is Alpha, or Alpheratz, which
marks the northeast corner OF the Great
Square. BY some 1t is reckoned as among
the stars OF Pegasus, and as such named
Delta Pagasi. The second star In An
dromeda is Beta. or Miraeh, and the third
Gamma, or Almaaeh. These three stars
nearly form straight line. Extending 1t
by the distance of Alpha from Beta, we
see a bright second magnitude star, the
most prominent in the constellation Per-
seus, but If we bend IL in westerly d.
rection by the distance of Beta and
Gamma, we at once notice a rather bright
star. Beta Persei, or Algol. one OF the
most remarkable of the variable stars.
The Square of Pegasus and Andromeda
present a picture not unlike the Dlpper
OF the Bears, only on a larger scale.
Directly south of Andromeda is sit
uated the zodIacal constellation Pisces, or
the Fishes. which contains not one con-
spicuous star, and Is only OF Importance
as the last Of the consultations Of the
zodiac.
Cassiopeia Is one OF the most interest
ing consultations In the heavens on ac-
count of it's peculiar configuration and its
being one Of the five circumpolar constel-
lations that never set in our latitude. It's
shape Is that of w. The two stars in
the last stroke are Alpha, or Shedir, and
Beta, or Caph, the former being below,
and the latter above.
Cepheus is large enough constellation,
but contains very few stars that can be
called fairly bright. The five most con-
spicu0us stars form a somewhat distorted
X, by which II may be recognized without
difficulty. Cepheus, like the two Bears
the Dragon and Cassiopeia-is a circum-
polar constellation. Bootes, with Arcturus,
Corona. Ophiuchus. and Sagittarius. have
either set or are on the point of setting.
Below Perseus the beautiful star Capel-
la In Auriga will attract the gazers at
tention, and still lower down the fine con-
stellerion Taurus, with the Hyades and
Pleides, and the brilliant first magnitude
star Aldebaran will not fail TO engage the
attention.