The evening times., 1898-10-10
THE OCTOBER SKIES.

Every year at any hour of the nj ght we
have the same stars before us that we
mad exactly a year before. The persons
who write in the newspapers for amateur
astronomers are suspected of using the
same copy" every year. Any body who
is not an amateur observer expects from
these sky articles to see something very
wonderful when he looks at the heavecs,
but he has sense of disappointment In
the New York Mail and Express is de-
scription of the star Mira, along with
others. but interesting as it is TO read
about it is Insignificant in appearance,
even If one could find it. The wri, er says:
Mira is again visible. Mira is the most
remarkable variable star in the heavens.
unless an exception Is made in favor OF
Algol. 1t was discovered by Fab icus as
long ago as 1886. and yet more facts about
IL are learned each year. Roughly speak
ing Mira is star which passes from the
ninth magnitude to the second or third
and back again to the ninth magnitude
III about eleven months Because of this
very wide range it Was the first variable
star to be noticed At it's maximum
brightness 1t differs greatly from year to
year For instance, Sir William Her chel
recorded 1t nearly as bright as A.debaran
on November +. 1890. Aldebaran is that
red star of the first m gnitude in Taurus
well above the eastern horizon about 10
O'Clock in the evening this season. On the
other hand, in 1868 Mira did not get above
the fifth magnitude at it's bri shtest Then
II sometimes reaches it's maximum a
month ahead of time and other times it
Is month behind-iI was two mo tbs
late in 1896
"a number of attempts have been made
to show that these irregularities were
themselves regular, but no remarkab BILE
success has been attained so lar These
doubtful points, however add greatly to
the interest of the astronomer in the star
itself. Last year it reached its greatest
brightness. about the third mag nj iude,
around the 1st of December Its average
period is. according to the books, 53l da. s,
but this is. as has been explained, sLb-
ject to great variation.
Akin TO the variable stars of which
Mira is such notable example are tenn
porary stars, suns which have sudden
ly shone out where never seen before.
and sooner or later have again faded
from the ken of even the most power
tul telescope. OF such a character was
Iycho Brahe's famous star. which ap-
peared in Cassiopeias chair in 1872
Another remaI kable appearance was
the star in the AndromeIa nebula in
1885. Interest in this latter has been re-
Vived by the announcement that a star
like condensation has again been found
In the nebula by the astronomers at
Pulkowa. If 1t shall be proved or shown
even reasonably probable that the aD-
pearances of 1885 or 1883 are of the same
object the scientific results will be of
great Importance. For then we shall
apparently have variable star with
period of thirteen years from maxi
mum to maximum The star of 1885
was visible from August of that year
ii was of about the seventh magnitude,
10 February, 1856, when il had sunk to
the sixteenth.
The balance of evidence goes to show
that the star was physically connected
with the nebula, and did not merely
| happen to be in the same line of sight.
II such was the case the sudden out
burst may have been caused by changes
in the nebula. Both star and nebula
are situated at inconeeiyably great dis
tances from the earth, and the present
blaze of light may have actually burst
out centuries ago, and by this time have
long resumed its normal brilliancy, but
the light. which is the only messenger
from that system to ours. has occupied
all these years in crossing the vast
space which separates US.
1T is unfortupatae that Venus is so
far south now that it has reached its
greatest brilliancy. or rather will reach
that point on the Goth of this month.
This southern declination prevents its
| becoming so remarkable a spectacle as
/ ii otherwise would. However. It's prom
! inence in the southwest directly after
sunset is noteworthy. There is a pos
! sibility. too, of seeing the planet in
broad daylight about this time, if one
knows just where to look Venus is in
conjunction with the moon betweeen
and O'Clock on the afternoon of Octob-
er is, and this should serve as a suffi-
cient guide 10 pick out the planet against
| even the bright background of mid
| day sky"