Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-11-02
The STARS IN NOVEMBER
FIRST THE PLeIADES, THEN ORION
RISE IN THE EVENING SKY.
some Pecularities OF Mira w onderful
Star Marked by Great Irrcgularity in
It's Period and BY Varying Brit
Iisncy.

The consultations in the November
evening sky are those of the fourth quar-
ter of the heavens west of the meridian
and those of the first quarter east of it,
The acbitrlry lines which divide the sky
into four equal lunc-shapcd areas are
those passing through the equinoctial and
solstitial points or the points occupied by
the sun about March 20, June 20, Sept. Y,
and Dec. 81 says the New York Times.
The first of these is on tho meridian in
tho evening.
The stelac Cotlfguration in the east in
the evening hours is unusually interest
ing. The beautiful cluster known as the
Pleiades rises near sunset, followed an
hour later by the V-shapcd group known
from classical times as the Hyades. The
red star at the lover extremity Of the
is Adlebaran. About two hours later
rises the grand constellation of Orion, in
which is another bright reddish star to
which the name Bctclgcuse has been as
signed. This name is but rarely used in
Astronomical writings, partly because no
body is sure how it should he pronounc-
ed, nor, in fact, is one ever quite sure of
spelling it correctly.
Then, too, all the individual names OF
the bright stars are becoming obsolete,
and Greek lettcrs arc being generally sub
Stituted for them. The word Betelseuse
is corruption of the Arabic words mean
ing the armpit of shoulder of the giant.
This refers to the giant Orion, in whose
shoulder the star Is situated.
STEERING BY ORION'S BELT
The word Aldebaran, above referred to,
is formed from the words. "the eye Of
the bull which is the location assigned to
this beautiful star in the constellation OF
Taurus, which we know was figured 10
t.1 tn, t1,p 1Af
of the ancients The two bright stars in
Taurus which formed the tips Of the
hoCns of the old figure traced among the
stars are low lcttered Beta and Zeta
Tauri. their Arabic names having ceased
to be in use years and years ago.
When the United states steamer kenr-
sarge was wrecked some years ago CO
Roncador Cay, in the Caribbean Sea, a re-
lief payty was sent off in the vessels
sailing launch, to proceed to an island
some little distance to leeward, where IL
was thought that communication with AS
pinwall could be had by a larger vessel
AS "A portion of the run was to be made At
night it was necessary that the steering
should be as accurate as possible. so the
officer in command of the party told the
helmsman to steer by Orions belt there
ahead Of you" meaning of course. the
thCee bright stars forming the belt of the
giant, which bore in the right direction
Tor the boat TO mead
The man at the tiller, whose knowl-
edge of the solar system did not extent
quite to the figure indicated, touched hi.
cap and said, AYE aye, Sir; but that
man with the belt in the bow is no.
Organ, but Mcbride, the fireman
AN ECCENTRIC STAR.
References has already recently peer
made to Algol and its eccentrcitcs, anC
h. ...l
able, variable star-so remarkable that /
has been given the name of Mira tn,
Wonderful. 1t Is in the constellation o.
Cetus Nhe whale) which Is now vel
above the horizon in the southeast par
of the sky.
Its periods and its habits differ essen
TALLY for other variables. Ordinarily it /
a telescope star away below the limits
IF the naked eye. But occasionally /
takes a freak and begins to brighten; af
ter while II becomes visible to the tak
ed eye and in about forty days thereafte
it has attained its greatest trlliancy
which is usually up to the second nagni
tude stars. Then it begins to fade and a
the end Of three months 1t is again lost tC
linaided vision.
Mira Guns the cycle of its changes in al
average period of about eleven months, al
though there is considerable irregular
ty in its periods as well asin its biillanc!
when at it's brightest. We can expect
reappearance of this star about this time
and it might be of interest to keep
watch on this spot in the heavens. 1t y
nearly on a line ds'awn from Adcbarai
through Menkar Din the mead of Cetus
to F'omalhaut.
That the sun has been fastening away
the cooler hours of the delicious autumna
cleaning but too we'll inform us. and thu
fever of the day will not be felt for man!
r,.l-c 10 Fl,.t1 ni.gh -httf in on.
the stars come out to keep their wonto'
Nigis, the soft depths of the sky seen
somewhat harsher than when in midsum
mer We thought we caught a glimpse o
heaven away beyond their unfathomabl
limits.