Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-02

known to be moving in all directions. mono
Of them. probably. being absolutely liked
nut these proper motions have been OBJ
served Tor too short a time for astronomers
70 be able TO say whether or not the mo-
lions are around common center much
less to determine where that center is
The Sow ana Pigs.
The N-shaped cluster of the Hvsdcs.
which forms the Bulls face is a finer OBJ
ject for the opera glass even than tho
PIeiades-one Of the finest Of celestial OBJ
jects for that instrument.
There IS "A little story. to he told obou.
these Hyedes. The name was supnosed
anciently 10 have been formed from a
Greek word which means ITO rain" Hence
uhGouptsdlN, arose the notion current for
merry that the rising Of these stars was at
tended by stormy weather. The Romans
called them Pluviar. a name which may bs
rendered "raiu-StarS." The Romans also
called them SuCulae, the pigs because,
says commentator upon Virgil. by a
strange mistake they derived the word lly-
AIDES from hES. "A swine" But when we
consider that these ancient considerations
were probably formed and named by rustics
and not 10y poets, ii seems not unlikely that
the Roman peasant was right and the
learned commentator wrong. sow ana
PIGS, as names for Aldeharan and the
lesser lights around it, would take with
rustics, whatever poets might think Of Il.
Origin of Their Names
groups are just the sort that We should look
for when We consider their popular origin,
as. indeed. VIC find to be the character OF
the modern names which have IN many
cases supplanted the old-the Dipper. the
Cross, the Sickle Jobs Coffin and the like.
There is no evidence that Aldebaran was
ever called the SOW, though the Hyades
were certainly called the Pigs, but there is
in this quarter Of the heavens a bright star
which bears an equally boorish name
Capella. the She-gOat. Possibly tho clue
which We have struck will lead US 10 tho
origin of this name also. The Wagner
(Auriga) carries upon his left shoulder. as
he is depicted upon celestial charts goat,
represented by the star Capella, and also
in his lap the goats three kids. Now,
there are near Capella three small stars
which form very noticeable little triangle,
and which we may reasonably conjecture
to be the originals of the three Kids.
Clearly, the same lima gtnation which saw
IN Aldebaran and the Hyades a sow and
her litter, saw in this other bright star aud
its three small attendants a goat and her
young. The same sort Of Imagination still
enables sailors TO see in a certain danger
Gus group Of rocks a Sow and Pigs and
in another group a, Hen and Chickens"
The ancient and the modern way Of look
ing at things may not be 50 different. afier
all.
AIgoI.
Mfnima Of Algol at hours favorable FOR
observing viii occur this month q follows;
on the 9th at 1880 pm. 9th at 40 p.m.i
10Th at l. m; 10Th at . pm.
Lunar Eclipse.
A partial eclipse OF the moon viii occur
on the 10th, which viii be visible wholly
in the eastern and central parts Of the
United States and partially on the Pacific
coast. The eclipse Will begin-omitung It's
invisible penumbral phase-at 5:$4 pm,
and Will end at lpoI pm, Washington
time 1t will be very nearly total
The Planets.
Mercury will be a morning star after tho
9Th of the month and viii bc 1T its great
est elongation west from the sum de-
erecs > ninutes-Cn the 18th. 1t may los
looked for at about that time shortly be-
fore sunrise, low IN the southeast
Venus has been an evening star since
September II. and is now FAR enough east
of the sun to appear soon after sunset, low
I'm the southwest.
The remaining planets, except Neptune,
are too near the sun to be visible. Mop
tune is an evening star, above the horizon
at . o'clock. near the Tip Of the Bulls
southern horn.
on the 2Ist at s pm, Washington ,ime,
the sun viii enter Capricorn and winter
will begin.