Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-11-02

ton Pisces. or the Fishes. spreads out
through a not inconsiderable space In the
sky. Although Il contains no star that
deserves TO be called conspicuous. II Is
the last of the consultations Of the zodaic.
and the vernal equinox Is situated within
It's boundaries The constellation consists
of two fishes connected by two ribbons tied
together, all indicated by rather faint
stairs. The star representing the Knot
OF these ribbons is Alpha Piscium,
or FL Risha, an Arabian word meaning
knot" This star Is double and con-
stitutes binary system. The southern
fish is marked by a pentagon, which In
moonless and cloudless night may be
easily recognized. Cassiopeia Is one Of
those constellation whose shape, once
known. cannot easily be forgotten, for,
being one OF the circumpolar constelia-
tons that never set In our latitude, II
may be seen at any time Of the night,
and It's peculiar confguration, that OF
w. renders II very conspicuous. Cassie
peia lies on the opposite side OF the
pole from the Great Dlpper. at nearly
the same distance The topmost star IN
the last stroke Is Beta, or Caph, while
the lower star In that stroke is Alpha,
or Shedr The reader will recollect that
Polaris is not exactly coincident with The
ILL., degrees distant from II. Polaris'
therefore, describes every twenty-four
hours a small circle around the pole,
and hence 1t is Of some Importance 10
know on which side of the pole the pole
star is situated at time. 1t is always
on the side toward Caph. Cepheus is
likewise a circumpolar constellation
though not as conspicuous as Cassiopela'
nor does il contain quite as prominent
stars. Five of its brightest stars form a
kind OF distorted X, the topmost point
OF the frst stroke of which is Alpha
Cephei or Aldermin. while in the middle
of that stroke is Beta, or Alphrk, and IN
the extremity of the last stroke Is Gamma
or Er Raj.
The beautiful star. Arcturus. has either
set or is going to set. Lyra, with vega
is approaching the western horizon. Cys-
nus and Aouila, with Affair, are half wa
between the meridian and the western
horizon, and Taurus. with Pleiades'
Hyades. and the bright star, Aldeparah,
the magnificent constellation ORION ana
the most brilliant of all the hxed STAR
in the heavens, glorious Sirius, are CLIMB
inc nm in the east. soon to present the
most beautiful of all stellar panoramas'
THE LEXELL-BROOKE COMET.
In the year ITO the famous astronomer
Lexell computed the orbit OF comet Una !
| bears his name. and which had appeared
| that year. 1t attracted particular atten-
ton on account of it's brightness and It's
close approach to the earth. LeXeh. from
| calculations he had made, predicted for
| II a period of only five and one-half years
but il was never seen again. Its non-re-
appearance in 1776 however, could be ac-
| counted for by the supposiuon that us
| orbit at that time did not bring II sur
| fciently near the earth, but this SUPPOSE
| ton could no longer hold good as 10 lts
temperance In 1881. so that the whoie
affair was wrapped up in mystery untii
| the great French astronomer ana maine
matician. Laplace, showed that IN LOS
| the comet must have approached the gred.
planet Jupiter so closely as to be diverted
by the great attraction of the latter INTO
| n new orbit. too distant to be seen from
the earth According to some invesuga.
| lions made by the famous discoVerer OF
the planet Neptune, Leverrier, the my
rious planet would probably come pach
about the year 1889. Now. IN that year
professor Brooke, of Geneva, y. Y, dis
covered a comet that was called after
him Professor Chandler, of Harvard Uni
versitv has shown that the mysterious
comet of Lexell is, in all probability the
came as Brooke's of 1889 by supposing
that the planet Jupiter first transformed
its orbit from a parabolic orbit-that 49,
from one that does not return into Itself
into an elliptical one, with a period OF
five and one-han years, then removed u
from our sphere of observation. and again
after more than a century, has brought Il
back to us. Some days ago Harvard COL
| lege has been notified that calculations
| of the orbit of Brookes comet. made by
Professor Hussey. of Lick Observatory,
show that the stranger will be nearest
the sun on November 23d. 1t Will con-
tinue TO increase in brightness for some