Evening journal., 1898-02-07
SKIES PHOTOGRAPHED
Much Hoped From the Recent
Eclipse of the Sun.
WOMAN DISCOVERS NEW STARS
WHEN A NEW STAR is DISCOv-
Erred IN ANY CONSTELLATION
IT is AT ONCE STYLED NOVA"

ter skies seem overdrawn to persons |
living in the heart of a great city, |
where the diffusion of light from thou |
sands of street lamps effectually and |
perpetually repulses the soft shining
of the fainter celestial objects But
such skeptics need only spend a single
clear moonless night in a rural dis
trict to recognize the fascination of the
vast star-sprent dome with its arch
ing galaxy and cleaning jewels, and
strange cOnhgurations moving slowly
across the armament.
FEBRUARY FASCINATIONS.
In the "circle of perpetual appara-
tion' bounded below by the north
horizon, Ursa Major is found at D.
m. east of Polaris, Ursa Minor and
Draco below, Cepheus west and CassiO-
peia above and to the west.
Perseus is on the meridian north of
the ecliptic, with Auriga somewhat to
the east. Andromeda is west of Per-
seus, while the Great Square Of Pega-
sus is nearing the horizon.
Along the ecliptic Leo is rising, the
fore part of the imposing figure resent
bling a sickle, or huge Interrogation
mark. with the first magnitude Regu-
lus at its foot
Cancer is climbing up, Gemini (the
"Twins") is midway to the meridian;
Taurus has attained it, Aries is just
beyond, with Pisces still preceding
and AQuarius is setting
In the southeast Orion and his at
tendants, CAMS Minor and CAMS Ma
jor, shine brilliantly. In the southwest
Cetus (the "Whale') reigns supreme.
For the first few mornings Of the
month Mercury will be visible as a
close herald OF the sun. On the 11th
this coy planet will be found in the inn
mediate vicinity of Mars. Venus will
be in superior conjunction with the
sun on the 18th, and will thencefOrth
be an evening star, although not visi-
bic for some weeks to come. Saturn
still courts the presence Of his royal
master. the sun, too intimately to be a
| desirable morning object; and although
/ Jupiter is gaining in his march toward
the evening sky, It is yet quite late be-
fore he rises. The moon Will be in
conjunction with Jupiter on the morn
ing of the 10th, Saturn and Uranus the
morning of the 14th, Mars the 18th and
Venus on the goth. The close of the
month will be signalized by a conjunc-
ton of the moon In its first quarter
with Neptune. Since the latter is only a
telescope object there are consequent
ly no planets visible 70 the unaided
eye in the early evenings of February.
On the night of the 5th, the moon
will occult a double star in Cancer
catalogued as Omicron / and 2, the
second component of which is Of the
fourth magnitude.
That strange star, Mira, "the Won
derful," in the constellation of the
Whale" is again descending in The
scale Of brilliancy. 1t will ever b'
noted as the first discovered "varia
ble," having first attracted attention
just three centuries ago. 1t Is usual!
visible to the unaided eye, but once II
about eleven months wakes quite rap
idly in brightness. It fingers at it,
maximum-which is sometimes a.
great - the second magnitude-fOr
week or ten days. The spectrum a
this stage is very fine, exhibiting man!
bright lines, of which some stand fo
hydrogen.
The study of variables has become ;
very important feature Of Astronomical
investigation. Several hundred star
OF this category are now known, an,
DR.. S. c. Chandler, editor of the AS
Economical Journal. founded by tn
late DR.. b. A. Gould has published
catalogue of them, which includes sew
eral distinct classes or types
some with long and some witt
short periods. temporary stars, star
whose change of brightness is due to al
intervening body producing a partia
eclipse, as in the case Of AlgOl, an
even some which slowly and steadil
gain or lose in brightness during tn
progress of centuries.
When a new star is discovered in an
constellation it is at once style
Nova" with the name of the constel
lation attached-the new star found 4
Auriga being known as Nova Auri
gae," Several new stars, too dim to b
detected by the unalded eye, have bee
brought to light by photography, tn
: distinction of their discovery accruin
to Mrs. Fleming, Of the Harvard Col
| lege Observatory. To this wonderful
, | astronomical accessory Of recent year
, is also due the very remarkable revela
ton that there are variable star clus
ters. Such clusters have been found
Canes Venatici and Libra, and in tn
photographs made at the Harvard sta
: ton near AreQuipa Peru Of a cluste
/ III lut 0tuAduIt nblAb AAu NdIltuJlto nav
already been brought to light. The me-
field of inquiry is very large and ricl
A recent circular from Harvard an
nounces a photometric investigation {
the variable ~ Pegasi." It's period ha
been supposed to be about five and one
j, half hours, but measures made Of II
. light curve" with the polarizing pho
tometer attached to the 15-inch equ;
torial telescope seem to indicate a r.
semblance to that of Beta Lyrae an
that its period is really about ninetee
4 seconds less than nine hours. It
S therefore robbed Of its distinction Z
Il the variable Of shortest period, Il
Omega Centauri 19 has a period of on
\ seven hours eleven minutes.
J, Much is hoped from the critical II
spectiOn of the photographs secure
81 during the recent total eclipse Of Il
u sun January 22) While the wealth.
e at the observation stations In Southel
IS Russia was unprOpitious Urania seen
n to have smiled upon Sir Norman Loci
,t yer's camp near Viziadurg and that
,s the American, Professor Campbell,