News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1898-08-10
THE AUGUST SKIES.

An Interesting sight VIII be the Meeting |
of Venus and Jupiter-The Meteor Dis
play.
The approach and meeting of the
planets Venus aud Jupiter form one
of the most interesting sights OF the
midsummer evenings. The two
planets have been for the past month
and still are the most conspicuous
objects of the evening skies. Jupiter
was brightest last March when in OPP
position, but be still outshines any
fixed star. Venus has been steadily
growing brighter since she first be-
came visible early last spring. She
now excels Jupiter, and the contrast
becomes more pronounced each even
ing. One needs no further instruc-
tions to be told to look for the two
brightest obiects-the moon excepted
in the southwest in the early twi-
light. The superb radiance of Venus
claims attention at once. Venus and
Jupiter will be remarkably near to-
gether on the evening of August Is,
and will constitute picture of I'M
eXcelled beauty. In fact such an OPP
portunity to see these two magnif-
cent planets so near together is rare
" afforded. After the 18th they
rapidly draw apart, Venus increasing
her distance from the sun until Sept.
81, and Jupiter coming nearer and
nearer to the sun until the two are in
conjunction on the 18th of October.
Venus remains queen of the skies all
through the last named month, and
her brilliancy increases so rapidly
that both in September and October
she will be visible in broad daylight,
provided one knows just where to
look. 1t is possible to see her now
while the sun is still shining low in
the west, bnt if one wants to glimpse
her light boring it's way through
the deep blue of MONDAY sky it is
better to wait until next month. The
word sounds strange, but we know of
no better description of the appear
ance of Venus in daylight than to
say that it "bores" it's way through
the background of the sky.
MERCURY's BRILLIANCY.
Besides Venus and Jupiter another
planet, Mercury, adorns the early
evening sky during August. In bril-
liancy Mercury cannot compare with
the other two, but his shy silvery
glmmer has d beauty all its own,
which is enhanced not little by the
knowledge of the watcher that this
point of light which seems to play
hide-andseek against the twilight
sky is in reality the nearest known
planet to the sun. Mercury is at the
greatest eastern plOngatiOn from the
sun August 8, and should be easily
visible in the early evening and time
four or five days each side of that
day.
The other planets need no special
comment this month. 1t should be
noted however, that when about IL
O'Clock on the 18th of August and
10 O'Clock on the Both the eye is
caught by a bright star rising far
over in the northeast that here is
Capella, one of the three brightest in
the northern heavens, and a reminder
of frosty nights, icy rivers and snow
covered ground. For that same
Capella, rising four minutes earlier
each night, shines overhead at the
same hour next December, cOnspi-
cuous among the brilliant constella-
tions which go to make glorious the
winter heavens.
THE PERsEID METEORs.
Prominent on the astronomical
calendar for this month, as Of every
August, is the Perseid swarm OF
meteors. Not so famous as the
Andromoden or so brilliant as the
Leonids, the Perseids are far more
constant from year to year than
either of the other two. They are
also believed to be older members OF
our solor system. They may be ex-
pected on the nights of the 9th, 10th
and 18th Of August any time after 9
O'Clock in the evening, at which hour
the constellation Perseus, from which
they take their name, rises in the
northeast. Fortunately the moon
does not rise these evenings until well
after midnight, so that good obser-
vations, weather permitting, should
he secured. They are interesting in
themselves, some of them possibly
being of considerable briliancy, but
should be watched mainly for the ex
perience the observer will gain for the
great shower of Leonids in Novem
Der this year and next. Beginners
may be disappointed in the com
paratively small number of meteors
seen during this August shower, but
as already stated, the experience o
observation gained by careful watch
ing for the Perseids will be valuable
when the great display of next No
vember comes.-NeW York Mail an
Express.
Resolutions.
10, IL,