The herald., 1898-11-11
A MONTH OF SHOOTING STARS
In November Celestial Rockets Can Be
Seen in Vast Numbers

November is the month in which the ce-
lestial rockets are most numerous, and from
the llth to the 18th we may expect to see
them shooting through the sky in vast num-
bers-far greater than in August, when we
so frequently were called upon to admire
their brilhancy. The bright objects that
furrow the sky appear to emanate from the
constellation Leo, not far from the star
Zeta.
The moon has the phase Of last quarter
on the 9th on which day there is conjunc-
ton with Mars. There is new moon on the
18th. first quarter on the goth and full moon
ON the 9th. On the I'd there there is con-
junction with Neptune, which again occurs
on the 29th the planet being almost three
degrees south of the moon. On the 9th
Mars and Luna are at their closest during
the early hours of the day. On the 18th the
waning crescent and Jupiter have some
what distant meeting, followed on the l4th
by one between the moon and Uranus. The
closest event of this kind for the month takes
place on the l4th. Some few hours after
meeting Uranus our satellite draws very
near Mercury, and the following day passes
at somewhat greater distance from Saturn
Venus and the growing crescent come quite
near eucu QUIET Ol lHc lOtuJ SiONiHS tiide
these four panets-Uranus, Mercury, Sat
urn and Venus-are fairly well punched to-
gether and all are in close proximity to the
dividing line between the evening and the
morning stars.
The heavens at this time have not very
many of the planets that we have been
used to seeing all summer and in the early
autumn. Our favorites are now so close to
the sun that we cannot see them in their ac-
customed places, and when next they ap-
pear it will be as morning stars under
Jupiter's commanding presence until fair
Venus once more asserts herself and forces
him to retreat vanquished.
Neptune is a morning star and is to be
found in the constellation of the bull, but
too far from Aldebaran, the brightest star
of the group, to have it aid in the identifica-
tion OF the planet. While, as has already
been said, there will be two conjunctions
this month between the moon and the wan
derer, neither of them is sufficiently close
to give us an exact idea of the planets To-
cation. Mars is also morning star, but
beyond the fact of being in conjunction with
the moon on the 5th there is very little for
him to do this month in the way of con-
tributing to our interest or amusement. He
is in the constellation of the crab, but none
of the stars of that group is visible to us
in the November evenings.
On the llth Mercury and Uranus are in
conjunction, and on the l4th the former
planet and the moon are at their closest for
the month. Later, on the 18th, Mercury
and Saturn meet, followed two days after
by meeting between Mercury and Venus.
All of this sociability is due to the fact of
Mercury's drawing away from the sun
while the others are approaching. We are
denied some beautiful celestial pictures in
not being able to see all the wonderfully
beautiful bodies moving about in such
close proximity.
Uranus, after meeting Mercury on the
1lth, is in conjunction with the moon on the
l4th, and then nothing of particular mo-
ment occurs until its conjunction with the
sun on the 25th. After this Uranus Joins
the morning galaxy. Jupiter has long since
established himself as supreme ruler of the
morning and we now have him to usher in
the day, as he rises an hour and quarter
ahead of the sun and shows himself in the
beautiful hues of early dawn, that so grad
ually fade away as the more powerful light
of the sun comes up behind them. Saturn
and the moon are in conjunction on the 18th.
and Mercury and Saturn on the 18th. These
phenomena are followed on the oath by
another meeting between Saturn and Venus.
the former at that time moving with less
comparative rapidity toward the sun than
he was when the two planets met last
month.
Venus, fair and beautiful, has almost
passed from our sight for the present, and
we are obliged to take on faith all that is
said about her meeting the other planets.
When next we see her lovely face the new
year will be here and the queen will be
among the morning stars, when only the
early risers can see her-New York Times.